Data by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that Over 50 million children in Kenya and other African countries are unvaccinated against meningitis due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pandemic disrupted meningitis prevention and control services, increasing the risk of future outbreaks of meningitis type A.
WHO has said an outbreak season is expected in January 2023, urging countries to take initiative and implement the newly launched roadmap towards stopping bacterial meningitis outbreaks by 2030.
The new strategy requires Sh 180 billion between now and 2030, which is meant to curb deaths by 70 percent and halve infections.
The plan further sets out a roadmap for countries to shore up diagnosis, surveillance, care, advocacy, and vaccination to eliminate outbreaks.
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According to WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, meningitis type A was the highest cause of meningitis outbreaks in Africa.
“The defeat of meningitis type A is of one of Africa’s biggest success stories in health, but the fallout from Covid-19 hampers our drive to eliminate this bacterial infection as a public health threat once and for all, and could lead to catastrophic resurgences,” said Dr. Moeti.
WHO found that meningitis control activities were reduced by 50pc in 2020 compared with 2019, with a slight improvement in 2021 because of Covid-19 pandemic.
Meningitis is inflammation of brain and spinal cord membranes, typically caused by a viral infection but can also be bacterial or fungal.