Epidemiological Profile and Clinical Outcomes of Laboratory-Confirmed Measles Cases in Somalia: Insights from the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL)

Abstract Introduction: Measles is a highly contagious, airborne viral disease that remains one of the world’s to an estimated 10.3 million cases first quarter of 2025, the United States alone reported 800 new confirmed cases. Measles transmission is endemic across all 18 administrative regions, coverage has stagnated at roughly 46%, far below the 95% threshold required. This retrospective study will characterize the epidemiological and clinical profiles of all laboratory-confirmed measles cases processed at the NPHRL from 2018 to 2024, with specific attention to primary outcomes, exposure variables, and vaccination status. Method This was a cross-sectional study that involved retrospective review at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) in Mogadishu, all lab-confirmed measles cases in the federal member states and regions from 2018 to 2024, The data were cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Result The study included 6,859 measles cases reported across Somalian showed that the majority (45.79%) 13–23-year age group, status, an overwhelming majority (93.2%), while 29.28% tested negative and were unvaccinated the likelihood of measles infection of all other states was significantly lower than that of Benadir. For instance, Galmudug had the least odds (AOR = 0.04; 95% CI: 0.03–0.06; p < 0.001). Conclusion These findings provide critical insights into the high burden of measles in Somalia. Laboratory-confirmed cases show a concentration in Benadir, The case fatality rate of 8.8 percent and the strong association between death and measles positivity reflect severity compounded by malnutrition. Together, the results underline an urgent need for targeted and meet regional elimination goals.