New meningitis vaccine could wipe out epidemics
Friday December 10th, 2010
The West African nation of Burkina Faso has become the first country to begin a nationwide campaign to introduce a new meningitis vaccine, it has been announced.
MenAfriVac
is the first vaccine designed specifically for Africa and promises to
rid 25 countries – from Senegal to Ethiopia - of the primary cause
of epidemic meningitis.
In 2009, the seasonal outbreak of meningitis across a large swathe of sub-Saharan Africa infected at least 88,000 people and led to more than 5,000 deaths.
"This historic event signals the beginning of the end of a disease that has brought sickness and suffering to generations of Africans," said Seydou Bouda, Minister of Health of Burkina Faso.
Developed by the Meningitis Vaccine Project, a partnership between the World Health Organisation and non-profit organisation PATH, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MenAfriVac, which protects children as young as one against meningitis A, costs less than USA 50c per dose.
“With a one-time investment to vaccinate populations in all countries of the meningitis belt, nearly 150,000 young lives could be saved by 2015, and epidemic meningitis could become a thing of the past,” said Dr Margaret Chan, WHO director-general.
“This is within reach. We must not fail.”
The introduction of MenAfriVac in Burkina Faso will be closely followed by introduction in Mali and Niger.
Tags: Africa | Child Health | World Health
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