To coincide with World TB Day on 24 March, Merlin is opening a second TB clinic in Puntland in north-east Somalia. The new clinic will fill a much-needed gap in a country with one of the highest TB rates in the world, with 25,000 expected cases every year.

Working closely with Puntland’s health authorities and other partners, Merlin has run a successful TB clinic in the region since 2006.

Funded by the Global Fund against Aids, TB and Malaria, the centre has treated over 500 TB patients and trained ten local health workers in DOTs [Directly Observable Treatment, Short-course], an effective way of treating TB.

However, more needs to be done to address this disease in Puntland, which is closely linked to high levels of poverty, HIV and malnutrition.

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Almost a decade of civil war has taken its toll and returning refugees are straining the region’s already devastated infrastructure. Such instability has made it increasingly difficult to effectively treat the disease, as unfinished or incorrect treatment creates drug-resistant strains.

Merlin plans to address some of these challenges in the new clinic. Health workers will receive training in HIV/TB co-infection and how to recognise resistant TB strains, while building referral systems to existing services in other centres and increasing the volume of patients that can be treated.

Where proper treatment is given, TB can be cured, but not everyone has access to this life-saving treatment. Franklin Ackom, Merlin’s East Africa Health Advisor, says: “This is a real priority for Merlin. Before the TB clinic was built, people had to travel up to 380 kilometres to receive this treatment.”

Merlin’s current TB control programme in Somalia has had positive results despite the complex situation it is operating in.

“The local commitment to health issues is growing,” adds Franklin. “Merlin will continue to work closely with health authorities to reduce the incidence of TB and prevent the development of acquired drug resistance.”

 Find out more about our work in Somalia

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