   |
|
afrol News, 30 September - At least 11 million euros (US$ 10.8 million) are needed to contain potential meningitis outbreaks in Africa. As new strains are developing and meningitis outbreaks become more frequent, health agencies agree that funds are needed to develop vaccines and raise awareness of the disease. The United Nations' World Health Organisation (WHO) and its partners launched an urgent appeal for additional funds at a four-day meeting in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) on Friday to improve control with meningitis outbreaks in Africa. Also, strategies to contain outbreaks and secure cheap vaccines were discussed, according to UN media. WHO said the emergence of the new W-135 strain of meningitis in West Africa earlier this year had given renewed urgency to the search for a more effective and affordable vaccine. An outbreak of W-135 in Burkina Faso, which began in February and continued until May, infected more than 12,000 people and killed almost 1,500. Participants at the meeting recommended that countries in "the African meningitis belt", which stretches from Ethiopia to Senegal, be vigilant and detect meningitis cases at an early stage so that treatment could be made available quickly. It was agreed at Ouagadougou to strengthen the response capacity of laboratories in the region and to stop preventive vaccination against the A and C strains of meningitis that are prevalent in Africa because it is inefficient. An efficient vaccine would not be available before 2007, according to the WHO. "The vaccines we have now have a mediocre guarantee of immunisation and it does not immunise children under two," said Daniel Tarantola of WHO's Vaccines and Biologicals department. WHO was not sure of the efficiency of the current vaccine used to immunise against meningitis A and C, said Tarantola. "Secondly, we may be short of vaccines where a real epidemic appears. It is better to stress vigilance and be able to detect epidemics earlier so as to respond quickly and use the vaccine doses appropriately." Sources:
Based on UN sources and afrol archives
|
