A vaccination initiative has been launched in Niamey, the nation’s capital, by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a bid to reverse the trajectory of contagion. This is coming following a recent meningitis outbreak which claimed 143 lives.
Nigereans eagerly anticipate the onset of the rainy season, believing it may help mitigate the spread, as meningitis, an infection affecting the brain and spinal cord’s delicate lining, follows a seasonal pattern.
Prevalent in the Sahel, a semi-arid region spanning Mali, Niger, Chad, and Sudan, meningitis peaks during the dry season from November to May, characterised by dust, winds, and cold nights.
The WHO vaccination targets individuals aged 1 to 19. Niamey, Niger’s capital, has reported the highest number of cases this year, with a cumulative incidence rate of 52.2 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
“Given the epidemic threshold was reached in three health districts, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Affairs filed a request to the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision to ask for operational support. To respond to the epidemic, a vaccination campaign will be conducted in all five health districts of the region “ stated Sahabi Assoumane, a public health official in the city.
Following Niamey, the desert towns of Agadez and Dosso are the most affected. According to the WHO, a meningitis outbreak in the Sahel between 1996-1997 resulted in approximately 25,000 deaths out of over 250,000 recorded cases.