A new dawn for children in Laascaanood
How peace, perseverance, and vaccines are giving children a better chance at life.
For nearly two years, children in Laascaanood were caught in crisis, cut off from health services and left unprotected by a raging conflict. Without access to routine vaccines, they missed out on more than just medical care; they were deprived of a healthy start in life.
In June, a new chapter begun. UNICEF delivered nearly 3 million doses of routine vaccines, the first large-scale shipment since the beginning of the crisis. These vaccines were more than supplies, they represented a renewed promise, to protect every child, no matter how remote or forgotten.
In these tiny droplets lies protection from one of the world’s most debilitating diseases. The oral polio vaccine is being urgently administered following the detection of a dangerous variant in one of the neighboring towns in the region. Each child reached brings Somalia one step closer to becoming polio-free, a future within reach.
One Vial Can Save Ten Lives. This is the measles vaccine, ten doses that can save ten children from a disease that still claims far too many young lives. In Somalia, measles is the third leading cause of death among children under five. But with timely immunization, we can stop this silent killer.
For the first time, Somalia has introduced the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13). Given in four doses, it protects children from pneumonia, a top killer of children under five. With this rollout, Somalia joins the world in fighting one of the most preventable childhood threats.
With the campaign, nearly 86,000 children under five, many vaccinated for the very first time, were targeted. Health workers walk long distances, going house to house, making sure that even the most remote communities were reached.
Peace makes progress possible. In Laascaanood, the guns having fallen silent, life began anew. Mothers can bring their children to clinics without fear. Babies are receiving vaccines that will protect them for years to come. This is what peace delivers: a chance for every child to grow up healthy, safe, and hopeful.
