Somali Hepatitis Initiative – Somhepatitis – Brings Lifesaving Hepatitis Screening to IDP Communities
Mogadishu, Somalia – In commemoration of World Hepatitis Day 2023, the Somali Hepatitis Initiative, in partnership with Abrar University, SomGastro Clinic, and Liver Center Somalia, successfully organized a one-week hepatitis awareness and free screening campaign across internally displaced persons (IDP) settlements.
The campaign reached hundreds of vulnerable families living in makeshift shelters, providing free Hepatitis B and C testing, health education sessions, and subsidized Hepatitis B vaccination. For many participants, it was their first access to hepatitis screening and preventive healthcare.
Dr. Mohamed Abdulkadir Hassan-Kadle, Gastro & Liver Specialist and co-founder of SHI, noted:
“The high burden of hepatitis in Somalia requires us to bring services directly to the most vulnerable IDPs, women, and children. This program is about equity, awareness, and saving lives.”
Community engagement included door-to-door mobilization, health talks in Somali language, and practical demonstrations about transmission prevention and liver health.
This initiative highlights the Somali Hepatitis Initiative’s growing leadership in grassroots action, ensuring hepatitis elimination is not left behind in Somalia’s fragile health system.
