Following these actions, a mass vaccination campaign was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Development (MoHD) of Somaliland in the districts of Burao and Oodweyne. MSF also donated vaccines to health authorities to carry out campaigns in Aynabo and Buuhoodle.
In July, 106,000 children under five were vaccinated. Many of them are among the internally displaced or members of host communities. This is one of the largest measles campaigns ever seen in the region.
“Basic immunization coverage is low in Somalia and Somaliland. It is difficult to carry out vaccinations because people are scattered, which involves complex logistics”explains Mohammed Musoke, medical director of MSF. “Our teams really have to go house to house. Some of these houses are far from each other and most people have moved so they are not in the same place”he explains.