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The African meningitis belt is a region in sub-Saharan Africa where the rate of incidence of meningitis is very high. It extends from Senegal to Ethiopia, and the primary cause of meningitis in the belt is Neisseria meningitidis. The belt was first proposed by Léon Lapeyssonnie of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1963.
The largest meningitis epidemic in African history swept across sub-Saharan Africa from 1996 to 1997, numbering 250,000 new cases and taking 25,000 lives. Three years later, the World Health Organization (WHO) held a technical consultation in Cairo, Egypt with African ministers of health and global health leaders to discuss meningitis and the ...
The 2009–2010 West African meningitis outbreak was an epidemic of bacterial meningitis which occurred in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria since January 2009, [1] [2] an annual risk in the African meningitis belt. A total of 13,516 people have been infected with meningitis, and 931 have died. [1]
Outbreaks of bacterial meningitis occur between December and June each year in an area of sub-Saharan Africa known as the meningitis belt. [13] Smaller outbreaks may also occur in other areas of the world. [13] The word meningitis comes from the Greek μῆνιγξ meninx, 'membrane', and the medical suffix -itis, 'inflammation'. [14] [15]
The distribution of meningococcal meningitis in the African meningitis belt. The importance of meningitis disease is as significant in Africa as HIV, TB and malaria. Cases of meningococcemia leading to severe meningoencephalitis are common among young children and the elderly. Deaths occurring in less than 24 hours are more likely during the ...
It is especially formulated for use in developing countries, aimed at protecting populations during meningitis outbreaks, particularly in high-risk regions like the African meningitis belt. Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial infection caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacterium, commonly known as meningococcus.
The Meningitis Vaccine Project is an effort to eliminate the meningitis epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa by developing a new meningococcal vaccine.The meningitis problem in that area is caused by a strain of meningitis called "meningitis A", which is present only in the African meningitis belt.
African meningitis belt: vaccination recommended for visitors Travellers who wish to enter or leave certain countries or territories must be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis, preferably 10–14 days before crossing the border, and be able to present a vaccination record/certificate at the border checks.