DREF MDRSO021 Final Report: Somalia Leishmaniasis Outbreak

What happened, where and when?

Since January 3, 2025, Erigavo Regional Hospital in the Sanaag region of northeastern Somaliland has reported ve cases of visceral leishmaniasis, also known as Kala-azar, a disease not historically prevalent in the area. Among these cases, four tested positive for Leishmania IgG using Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), raising concerns about the potential emergence of a localized outbreak. Laboratory analysis conrmed two fatalities from Rugay and Cirshiida in Erigavo district, highlighting the severity of the situation. The most recent case was conrmed on February 26, 2025, as a Kala-azar type, indicating ongoing transmission. Between January and July 2025, a total of 140 people were tested, of whom 39 were positive and 12 had died. Erigavo District, the administrative and most populous locality in Sanaag, experienced a notable surge in suspected and conrmed cases of this neglected tropical disease, which is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania and transmitted through the bite of infected female Phlebotomine sandies. Clinical manifestations include persistent high-grade fever, pronounced hepatosplenomegaly, progressive weight loss, anemia, and pancytopenia, consistent with advanced-stage infection. In response to the outbreak, the Ministry of Health Development (MoHD) ocially declared the situation a public health emergency on March 2, 2025, and activated its public health department. The MoHD issued urgent notications to humanitarian partners, highlighting the critical need for intervention. The Somali Red Crescent Society (SRCS), in collaboration with government authorities, mobilized support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). A request for nancial assistance was submitted to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF), enabling the rapid implementation of targeted interventions in the most aected areas. These interventions included intensied case detection, treatment of conrmed cases, vector control, and community awareness campaigns. Eorts continue to prevent further transmission, reduce morbidity and mortality, and maintain vigilance in high-risk areas of the Sanaag region. The implementation of this DREF, combined with the eorts of other response actors, contributed to reversing the epidemic trend, with a noticeable decline in cases across all aected districts.

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