Meningitis Outbreak: Death Toll Rises to 270 in Five States

The meningitis outbreak has affected more people in the Northern part of Nigeria less than 3 weeks after it was first reported. Not less than 1,966 suspected cases have so far been reported as of this week, with the outbreak reaching epidemic proportions in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara and Niger States. About 270 people have died from the outbreak.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said given the size of the outbreak and the number of states affected, it was in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) leading a multi-agency CSM Outbreak Control Team to coordinate the response to the outbreak of the disease.

It said the team included representatives from the NPHCDA, World Health Organisation, United Nations Children’s Education Fund, US Centers for Disease Control, Médecins Sans Frontières and EHealth Africa.

According to the Technical Assistant Communications, NCDC, Lawal Bakare, the Outbreak Control Team was focusing on communicating prevention messages, strengthening surveillance, case detection, verification and management as well as communication and coordination across the affected states.

He said NPHCDA was leading a reactive vaccination in Zamfara State, while a similar response was currently being planned in Kebbi and Sokoto States. Vaccines that provide protection to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C (NmC) are not commercially available and need to be acquired through a special process managed by WHO.

“NPHCDA is working closely with WHO to ensure that we get access to vaccines needed to respond to the outbreak and prevent further cases. In addition, UNICEF is currently supporting affected states to scale up social mobilisation focusing on grassroots engagement.”

While noting that meningitis can be treated if detected early, the Chief Executive Officer, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said: “We understand meningitis peaks every year in the dry season in certain states and we must work better with these states to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives.

We must work collectively to stop this outbreak and prevent outbreaks of this scale in the future.”

According to the Director of Surveillance, NCDC, Mrs Olubunmi Ojo, “Immunisation is key to the prevention of meningitis. Between 2011 -2014, the MenAfriVac vaccination campaign against the predominantly circulating Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A in Nigeria then, led to a major reduction in cases recorded from that strain. We now see an outbreak caused predominantly by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C (NmC). While reactive vaccination helps to curtail outbreaks, a vaccination campaign against NmC with a long-lasting conjugate vaccine is sorely needed in the region.

“The NCDC and its partner agencies and institutions at the Federal Ministry of Health will continue to work closely with States and we believe that our concerted efforts will bring this outbreak under control, as we also work towards preventing outbreaks of this scale in the future,” the agency stated.

Meanwhile, as part of efforts to tackle the disease in Sokoto State, at least 700,000 persons, comprising children and adults  will be vaccinated following the death of 31 persons as a result of the epidemic in  Sokoto State.

The state Commissioner of Health, Dr. Balarabe Kakale, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Centre, Sokoto yesterday.

He said the exercise would be conducted across the 23 local government areas of the state and expected to last for one week.

According to him, the mass vaccination against meningitis became necessary so as to get a very high community immunity against any outbreak.

The commissioner maintained that the vaccination exercise is free and advised the people to avail themselves of the opportunity to get vaccinated.

“Vaccines provided are free and is targeted at children under five and adults. So, anybody charging any fee to vaccinate people is criminal and will be dealt with,” Kakale said.