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Core competency gaps among Somalia's disease surveillance workforce: a cross-sectional study
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi1, Abdullahi Mohamed Mohamud2,3, Marian Muse Osman4,5
1Department of Health Emergencies, Federal Ministry of Health, Mogadishu, Somalia.
The Pan African Medical Journal
|August 2, 2026
Summary
Somalia
Area of Science:
- Public Health Surveillance
- Epidemiology
- Global Health Security
Background:
- Fragile, conflict-affected settings like Somalia face critical human resource and capacity challenges in disease surveillance.
- District and regional surveillance officers are crucial for early detection, rapid response, and containment of public health threats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the competencies and training status of surveillance officers in Somalia.
- To identify gaps in epidemiological skills, outbreak investigation, and data analysis among frontline health workers.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 68 surveillance officers in Somalia.
- Data was collected using a structured questionnaire assessing demographics, training history (including Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response - IDSR, Field Epidemiology Training Program - FETP), and self-reported competencies.
Main Results:
- High IDSR training coverage (96.6%) but low FETP participation (10.3%).
- Limited experience in investigating outbreaks of diseases like AFP, malaria, diphtheria, and respiratory infections.
- Proficiency in basic tools like Excel was high, but limited in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Power BI. Uneven geographic distribution of officers was noted.
Conclusions:
- Critical gaps exist in advanced epidemiological skills, specialized outbreak experience, and workforce equity among Somali surveillance officers.
- Recommendations include prioritizing FETP enrollment, targeted refresher training, and upskilling in GIS and data visualization.
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