By Horn Tribune Contributors
Government, health partners, private healthcare providers and community representatives have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening immunization services and sustaining progress towards polio eradication in Somaliland.
The commitment was highlighted on 26 August 2026 in Hargeisa during the Inclusive Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Immunization and Polio Eradication, convened by the Somaliland Ministry of Health Development and UNICEF at Maansoor Hotel. The forum brought together immunization stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO), private hospitals, community leaders, youth advocates, parents, and polio survivors, to identify practical actions to improve vaccination coverage and protect children against vaccine-preventable diseases.
The meeting took place as Somaliland advances implementation of its National Immunization Strategy 2026–2030, with discussions focusing on strengthening routine immunization, improving disease surveillance and ensuring that children in underserved communities are not left behind.
Reaching Every Child with Life-Saving Vaccines
Despite progress in immunization services, gaps in vaccination coverage persist, particularly among children in nomadic communities, remote settlements and underserved urban areas. Children who have never received a routine vaccine, known as zero-dose children, remain a priority for immunization programmes.
Participants emphasized the importance of identifying and reaching these children through targeted outreach, stronger health service delivery and sustained community engagement. They also highlighted the need to ensure that under-immunized children complete their recommended vaccination schedules.
Strengthening routine immunization was identified as essential to maintaining population immunity and reducing the risk of outbreaks, including poliovirus transmission. Participants called for continued vigilance, effective disease surveillance and timely response to potential public health threats.
Discussions also addressed the importance of reliable cold chain systems to maintain vaccine quality and ensure that life-saving vaccines remain available at health facilities and outreach service points.
Communities at the Centre of Immunization Efforts
The participation of parents, community leaders, youth advocates and polio survivors brought valuable community perspectives to the discussions.
Their contributions highlighted the importance of building trust, addressing misconceptions about vaccines and providing families with accurate, accessible information on the benefits of immunization. Participants emphasized that community engagement must be continuous and inclusive, with religious leaders, youth and other trusted voices playing an important role in encouraging parents and caregivers to vaccinate their children.
The experiences of polio survivors also served as a reminder of the potentially lifelong consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of sustaining high vaccination coverage to protect future generations.
Participants called for meaningful community involvement in immunization planning, implementation and accountability to ensure that services respond to the needs of families, particularly those facing barriers to access.
Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Results
The forum highlighted the importance of collaboration between government, UNICEF, WHO, private healthcare providers and communities in expanding access to immunization services.
Private hospitals were recognized as important partners in improving access to routine childhood vaccination, complementing services delivered through public health facilities and outreach programmes.
Participants called for stronger coordination among immunization partners to maximize available resources, avoid duplication and support implementation of the National Immunization Strategy 2026–2030. They also underscored the importance of sustained political commitment and adequate financing to maintain progress and strengthen the resilience of immunization services.
A Shared Commitment to Protecting Every Child
The forum concluded with recommendations to strengthen routine immunization, prioritize zero-dose and under-immunized children, enhance surveillance and outbreak preparedness, improve cold chain management, expand community engagement and reinforce public–private collaboration.
Participants reaffirmed the importance of a whole-of-society approach to immunization and polio prevention, recognizing that protecting children requires coordinated action across government institutions, health partners, service providers and communities.
As Somaliland advances its immunization priorities for 2026–2030, continued collaboration and investment will be essential to reaching children who remain unreached and ensuring that every child has access to life-saving vaccines.
Every child vaccinated is a step towards a healthier, polio-free future.