planet earth looks blue

Meningitis has reached epidemic levels in Nigeria and Niger.  So far this year the two countries have reported 1,500 deaths, with 200 in the last week.  Meningococcal meningitis strikes an area in Africa known as the Meningitis Belt, every 8 to 10 years during the dry season, from January to June.  It is a highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis.  Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective layer around the brain and spinal cord.  This particular bacterial meningitis is very dangerous - without immediate treatment it usually leads to death.  The WHO stockpiles meningitis vaccinations, with 13 million for this year.  This is not enough.  So far 2.3 million doses were released to Nigeria and 1.9 for Niger.  What health officials usually do to preserve the medicine is regulate areas, watching for potential outbreaks.  When they notice early warning signs, they come in and vaccinate entire areas.  The disease is entirely preventable with a vaccination.

The Meningitis Belt goes through parts of eastern Ethiopia, southern Sudan, southern Chad, Nigeria, Niger, Burkino Faso, Mali, and even reaches into Guinea and Senegal.  There is a lot of concern over the Sudan, where international aid groups such as Doctors Without Borders were kicked out of the country as a reaction to crimes against humanity charges put on the Sudanese President Al-Bashir.  Earlier this month, 100,000 people were to be vaccinated in one of the refugee camps in southern Sudan because there were a few reported cases of meningitis.  Before the medicine was administrated the aid group was forced to leave.  This is very frightening for everyone in affected areas.  Children are dying, everyone is susceptible.  I am not sure how the WHO could get their hands on more vaccinations, but it seems this should be a top international priority, especially when it is such a simple way to prevent a terrible epidemic.