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. 2018 Jul 2:Suppl:41-45.

Elimination of Epidemic Meningitis in the African Region: Progress and Challenges: 2010-2016

Amadou Fall  1 , André Fouda Bita  1 , Clement Lingani  1 , Mamoudou Djingarey  1 , Carole Tevi-Benissan  2 , Marie-Pierre Preziosi  3 , Olivier Ronveaux  4 , R Mihigo  2 , J Okeibunor  5 , Bartholomew Dicky Akanmori  2
Affiliations

Elimination of Epidemic Meningitis in the African Region: Progress and Challenges: 2010-2016

Amadou Fall et al. J Immunol Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Epidemics of meningococcal disease constitute a major public health challenge in Africa, affecting mostly the 24 countries of the meningitis belt. These epidemics led to a call for a call for a safe, effective and affordable conjugate vaccine against the major serogroup responsible for recent epidemics by leaders of the region.

Objective: This paper documents experiences with efforts at eliminating epidemic meningitis in the African Region.

Method: The meningoccocal serogroup A conjugate vaccine was developed, licensed and offered to more than 235 million people through mass vaccination campaigns in 16 countries since 2010. Future plans include providing the vaccine to the remaining countries in the African Meningitis Belt and, to implement the vaccine into routine national infant immunization programme and to organise catch-up immunization campaigns every 5 years for unvaccinated <5 year-olds who had missed their routine vaccinations.

Results: The success of the project is evidenced by the large declines in cases of group A meningococcal disease since 2010, with no cases reported in vaccinated persons across the 16 countries, reflecting the highly effective nature of the vaccine. The successful control of serogroup A meningococcal disease has highlighted the need to tackle other meningococcal serogroups through development of polyvalent conjugate vaccines with the aim of eliminating epidemics of meningococcal meningitis in the African region.

Keywords: African Region; Challenges; Elimination; Epidemic Meningitis; Progress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Profile of meningitis germs from 2004 to 2015 in the 16 countries that have experienced MenAfriVac© introduction
Figure 2
Figure 2
Total numbers of meningitis cases from 2004 to 2015 (confirmed) in the 16 countries that have introduced MenAfriVac©. The group A meningococcal conjugate vaccine was introduced in 2010.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Aetiology of the pathogens responsible for confirmed meningitis cases during 2004-2015 in the 16 countries following MenAfriVac© introduction.
Figure 4
Figure 4
NmA confirmed reported in the countries that have implemented MenAfriVac© Campaigns
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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