Somalia reviews disease surveillance system to improve outbreak detection and response

Somalia is strengthening its public health surveillance system as the government, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and development partners work to improve the country’s ability to detect disease outbreaks early and respond more effectively to public health threats.

The effort is part of ongoing measures to reinforce disease monitoring and improve preparedness for health emergencies affecting the country. Health officials say stronger surveillance systems are critical for identifying outbreaks quickly, coordinating responses and reducing the impact of infectious diseases.

To support the process, Somalia’s Ministry of Health, in collaboration with WHO and other partners, convened a review and action-planning meeting on the implementation of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) framework.

The meeting brought together health officials and technical experts to assess progress and identify areas requiring further improvement.

Participants reviewed systems for detecting disease alerts, confirming suspected cases, investigating outbreaks and responding to public health emergencies. They also examined disease prioritisation, reporting procedures and coordination mechanisms designed to improve the flow of information between national and sub-national health authorities.

Officials said strengthening these systems will help ensure outbreaks are detected earlier, allowing health authorities to respond more quickly and contain their spread.

The IDSR framework, developed with support from WHO, provides countries with a coordinated approach to detecting, reporting, investigating and responding to public health threats. It is designed to improve the collection and analysis of health information, enabling authorities to take action before outbreaks develop into larger emergencies.

In Somalia, the surveillance system is particularly important as the country continues to face repeated health emergencies linked to conflict, climate-related disasters, population displacement and limited health infrastructure.

The review comes as WHO expands its support for Somalia’s emergency preparedness and response efforts. A joint mission from WHO Headquarters and the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, together with WHO Somalia’s Health Emergencies team, is working with national authorities to strengthen preparedness for Ebola Virus Disease and improve response capacity for other diseases with epidemic potential.

According to WHO, the mission is assessing Somalia’s laboratory capacity, reviewing coordination mechanisms and supporting efforts to strengthen readiness for high-threat pathogens. The assessment is expected to identify existing gaps and guide future investments in emergency preparedness.

The WHO team and officials from Somalia’s Ministry of Health also visited the diphtheria isolation centre in Mogadishu to assess the ongoing response to the outbreak.

The visit focused on clinical case management, infection prevention and control measures, and the overall response to contain the disease.

“The mission is assessing national laboratory capacity, reviewing coordination mechanisms & strengthening readiness for high-threat pathogens,” WHO said.

The agency added that “WHO remains committed to strengthening health emergency response in Somalia.

Health officials say continued collaboration between Somalia, WHO and development partners will be crucial in building a surveillance system capable of detecting disease threats early and ensuring coordinated public health responses at every level.

They said strengthening disease surveillance remains a priority as Somalia seeks to improve preparedness for future health emergencies and protect communities from infectious disease outbreaks.