The Director General of the Ministry of Health Development of the Republic of Somaliland, Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud Jama, today officially launched Child Health Week, which is celebrated every year in November.
The celebration was organized by the Ministry of Health Development in collaboration with the Health Cooperation Agency.This year’s Child Health Week focuses on two very important international days, World Pneumonia Day and World Prematurity Day.
This year’s theme was “Child Safety: Pneumonia Vaccines Are Safe.”The opening ceremony was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Health Development, such as the Director and Deputy Director of the Department of Child Health and Immunization, the Regional Health Coordinator of Maroodijeex, heads of various agencies working with the Ministry, and officials from the Ministry.
During the event, the officials who spoke there noted the importance of strengthening child health care, raising awareness about dangerous diseases such as pneumonia, which is one of the most common causes of child mortality, as well as the care of children born before their due date.Also, today, research conducted on the pathogen that causes pneumonia was presented at this venue, which is the first time that such research has been conducted in the Somali-populated area.
This research was carried out jointly by the Ministry of Health Development, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and Save the Children International.Finally, the Director General Dr. Ahmed Mahmoud Jama concluded the event, urging all health professionals to accelerate preventive services, vaccination, and community awareness to ensure the safety and development of Somaliland children.
