Siad Abdimajid Said, Yusuf Abdirizak Mohamud, Otorkpa Oche Joseph, Gedi Saido, Abshir Said Nuriye, Tahlil Abdullahi Ahmed, Abdullahi Naima Abdulkarim
Public Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Mogadishu, Somalia.
Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Mogadishu, Somalia.
Infect Drug Resist. 2025 May 17;18:2589-2595. doi: 10.2147/IDR.S507063. eCollection 2025.
Measles has been a significant and persistent public health challenge in Somalia, with frequent outbreaks reported across the country, which is grappling with a complex humanitarian crisis, decades of political instability, and recurrent natural disasters. This study aimed to assess the epidemiology of measles by examining the affected individuals' outcomes, laboratory results, and demographic characteristics.
We conducted a retrospective study analyzing measles cases reported to the National Public Health Reference Laboratory across various states in Somalia, from January to June 2024. We then employed rigorous data analysis using SPSS version 26.
Of the 1266 suspected measles cases received at the laboratory, 58.4% were confirmed as measles positive. The highest attack rate was observed in children under 1 year old, with 133 cases per 100,000 individuals. Males accounted for 57.4% of the cases, with an attack rate of 155 cases per 100,000 individuals. Overall, 98.3% of the cases were unvaccinated individuals. The highest number of cases was reported in the states of Banadir, Hirshabelle, and Galmudug, accounting for 32.6%, 20.5%, and 19.6%, respectively. The sex of the children was statistically associated with measles (p-value = 0.026), while age was also statistically significant (p-value = 0.001).
These findings indicate a significant measles outbreak, particularly among unvaccinated individuals, with children under 1 year old being the most vulnerable. Males showed a higher attack rate compared to females. To mitigate future outbreaks, health authorities should focus on intensifying vaccination campaigns in the most affected regions and age groups. Strengthening healthcare infrastructure and raising public awareness about the importance of vaccination are also essential to prevent future outbreaks and improve public health.
麻疹一直是索马里面临的重大且持续的公共卫生挑战，该国各地频繁报告麻疹疫情，同时还在应对复杂的人道主义危机、数十年的政治不稳定以及频发的自然灾害。本研究旨在通过检查受影响个体的结局、实验室结果和人口统计学特征来评估麻疹的流行病学情况。
我们进行了一项回顾性研究，分析了2024年1月至6月期间索马里各州向国家公共卫生参考实验室报告的麻疹病例。然后我们使用SPSS 26版进行了严格的数据分析。
在实验室收到的1266例疑似麻疹病例中，58.4%被确诊为麻疹阳性。1岁以下儿童的发病率最高，每10万人中有133例。男性占病例的57.4%，发病率为每10万人中有155例。总体而言，98.3%的病例为未接种疫苗的个体。病例数最多的是巴纳迪尔州、希兰州和加尔穆杜格州，分别占32.6%、20.5%和19.6%。儿童的性别与麻疹在统计学上相关（p值 = 0.026），年龄也具有统计学意义（p值 = 0.001）。
这些发现表明麻疹疫情严重爆发，尤其是在未接种疫苗的个体中，1岁以下儿童最为脆弱。男性的发病率高于女性。为减轻未来的疫情爆发，卫生当局应专注于在受影响最严重的地区和年龄组加强疫苗接种运动。加强医疗保健基础设施以及提高公众对疫苗接种重要性的认识对于预防未来疫情爆发和改善公共卫生也至关重要。
