Photos: PM Xamza chairs high-level meeting discussing….

Mogadishu (Caasimada Online) – The Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, Hamza Abdi Barre, today chaired the first meeting of the National Committee for Vaccination and Eradication of the Measles Disease (SIPE), since the official establishment of this committee.

The meeting was attended by the ministries of Health, Education, and Finance, representatives from the regional governments, and international health organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, Africa CDC, and the Gates Foundation.

The agenda of the meeting focused on strengthening child health services, reaching children who have not yet received vaccinations, eradicating measles, and increasing domestic funding. Additionally, the importance of collaboration between the government and partner organizations was emphasized, so that every Somali child can access basic health services.

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, speaking at the meeting, called for a genuine accountability approach to eradicating measles, stressing that the allocated vaccination budget should yield visible results.

“Every budget allocated for vaccination must produce clear results, and that vaccination must reach every child, through a transparent process, while we evaluate our performance based on the number of children we immunize, and the quality of services we provide,” he said.

He also noted that the Joint Executive Committee for Vaccination will be evaluated based on the number of children they reach, the infectious diseases they prevent, and the extent to which Somali children successfully access essential vaccinations.

During the meeting, various reports were also presented by agencies including Gavi, UNICEF, and the Gates Foundation, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Prime Minister, and a representative from the regional governments.

Finally, the conference approved the six-month work plan of the Joint Executive Committee, which outlines the responsibilities of the various agencies and the timelines for implementation. It was also agreed to strengthen domestic funding, collaboration among ministries, and accountability of international agencies.