West Africa is at risk of a large meningitis outbreak unless drug manufacturers increase vaccine production by 5 million doses before the 2016 meningitis season starts in January, the United Nations and leading public health organizations warned today.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have had preliminary discussions with vaccine manufacturers and impressed upon them the need to produce a stockpile of 5 million doses of vaccine so as to be ready for flare-ups of the disease next year in Africa, but so far they haven\u2019t yet revised their production plans to meet demand,\u201d said Dr. Imran Mirza, a health specialist with the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Children’s Fund (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF).<\/p>\n
The World Health Organization (WHO), Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and M\u00e9decins sans Fronti\u00e8res (MSF) issued a joint press release warning that \u201can acute shortage of meningitis C-containing vaccine threatens to severely limit the world\u2019s ability to minimize the number of people affected.\u201d<\/p>\n
The four organizations, which make up the International Coordinating Group for Vaccine Provision for Epidemic Meningitis Control, said while substantial progress has been made in recent years in protecting Africa from other main sub-types of meningitis, \u201cmuch work needs to be done to protect the African meningitis belt from meningitis C outbreaks.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to WHO, meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50 per cent of cases if untreated. Several different bacteria can cause meningitis. Geographic distribution and epidemic potential differ according to the sub-types.<\/p>\n
Dr. William Perea, WHO\u2019s Coordinator for Control of Epidemic Diseases Unit, said \u201cmeningitis tends to hit Africa in cycles. Cases of meningitis C have been rising since 2013, first in Nigeria in 2013 and 2014, and then in Niger in 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to be ready for a much larger number of cases during the 2016 meningitis season,\u201d Dr. Perea said.<\/p>\n
The four organizations stressed that vaccination remains key to preventing meningitis.<\/p>\n