Trends of Tuberculosis in Somaliland’s Young Children after the Conflict and the Role Khat Marfishes Play Its Transmission

Abstract

After the fall of the central government and the emergence of the recurrent civil conflict in Somalia, many new sociocultural phenomenons that have appeared across the country contributed to the spread of many infectious diseases including TB. One of these social phenomena is a wide spread use of the illicit drug Khat which is predominately used by the Somali males. Mostly khat is chewed in small overcrowded, unhygienic and unventilated makeshift huts known as Marfishes. These Marfishes became the launch pad and the breeding grounds of many infectious diseases that have affected the lives of many Somalis including children. Under-five mortality in somalia is estimated at 200 deaths per 1000 births, which is one of the highest in the world. Approximately one third of these are neonatal deaths, occurring during the first month of life, pneumonia and diarrhea are the main killers each contributing 20-25 percent of all under-five mortality. While these diseases still remained the top major killers, communicable diseases including TB are also a leading cause of death. This paper investigates the incidence and the trends of tuberculosis among the Somali children by using time series statistical models.