Assessment of in-country capacity to maintain communicable disease surveillance and response services after polio eradication—Somalia

One objective of the 2013–2018 Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) Strategic Plan was the transition of GPEI polio essential functions to other public health programs [1]. For many developing countries, in addition to polio essential functions, GPEI funding has been supporting integrated communicable disease surveillance and routine immunization programs. As GPEI progresses toward polio eradication, GPEI funding for some polio-free countries is being scaled back. The Somalia Polio Eradication Program, led by international organizations in collaboration with local authorities, is a critical source of immunizations for >2.5 million children. In addition, the polio program has been supporting a range of communicable disease surveillance, basic health services (e.g. routine immunizations) as well as emergency response activities (e.g. outbreak response). To assess current capacities in Somalia, interviews were conducted with representatives of relief organizations and ministries of health (MoHs) from Somaliland, Puntland, and South-Central political zones to elicit their opinions on their agency’s capacity to assume public health activities currently supported by GPEI funds. Seventy percent of international and 62% of representatives of domestic relief agencies reported low capacity to conduct communicable disease surveillance without GPEI funds. Responses from MoH representatives for the three zones in Somalia ranged from “very weak” to “strong” regarding capacity to conduct both polio and non-polio related communicable disease surveillance and outbreak response activities. Zones programs are unprepared to provide communicable diseases services if GPEI funding were substantially reduced abruptly. Polio transition planning must strategically plan for shifting of GPEI staffing, operational assets and funding to support identified gaps in Somalia’s public health infrastructure.