Meningitis outbreak spreads in south Sudan - WHO
Pastor Dale Morgan
Meningitis outbreak spreads in south Sudan - WHO*
24 Feb 2007 15:48:55 GMT
Source: Reuters
JUBA, Sudan, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A meningitis outbreak that has swept
through southern Sudan since January has continued to spread, killing
172 people, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday.
"Last year we had just under 5,000 cases but only in four states, now it
has spread further into eight states already," said Philippe
Verstraeten, at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs in Sudan.
Nearly 1,800 cases of infection have been identified since the beginning
of the year.
Meningitis outbreaks affect Sudan during the dry season, as part of the
"meningitis belt" which runs from East to West Africa. Burkina Faso in
west Africa has called for international help in tackling a meningitis
outbreak that has already killed 258.
In Sudan the disease has spread more rapidly since a north-south peace
deal ended the country's two decade long civil war in January 2005.
"More peace (has led to), more access and more movement than before,
disease is spreading further now," said Verstraeten.
It accounts for more than half the cases of the disease worldwide each year.
Sudan, after suffering decades of civil war, has little or no
infra-structure and is particularly at risk to outbreaks of disease.
Meningitis is an infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain
and spinal cord. Often transmitted by coughing or sneezing, tt can cause
complications including brain damage and deafness. About 5-10 percent of
patients die from the illness, according to the WHO.
The south Sudan government has requested over 800,000 doses of
meningitis vaccine from the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine
Provision for Epidemic Meningitis Control.
Verstraeten said the vaccines would be used in the most heavily affected
areas, including the southern capital of Juba, which has had 165
reported cases this year, according to WHO figures.