Meningitis: Mass vaccination commences in Zamfara

Even as the Federal Government commenced
the Meningitis C Reactive Vaccination exercise
in Zamfara State – hard hit by the current
outbreak of meningitis in the country, death toll
from the disorder has continued to rise in all
affected States.
Children undergoing vaccination against
meningitis in Nigeria.
On Friday 7th April, the Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control, NCDC, confirmed a total of 438
deaths out of 3,959 suspected cases reported in
106 Local Government Areas of 19 States of the
Federation.
Giving an update of the situation report of 6th
April2017, NCDC;s Technical Adviser,
Communications, Dr Lawal Bakare, said a total
of 181 (11 per cent) of the cases have been
laboratory-confirmed by Pastorex and Culture,
while Neisseria meningitides serotype C is the
most common serotype accounting for 83 per
cent of cases.
The update revealed that Kogi, Oyo and Delta
have joined the list of affected States, however,
the North-West zone remains the most affected
with Zamfara State topping the list with a total
of 262 deaths and 2,332 suspected cases in 12
LGAs, 71 laboratory confirmed.
According to the report, the next most affected
is Sokoto State with 61 deaths and 1,045 cases
in 18 LGAs, 47 lab confirmed, while Katsina
State is 3rd with 48 deaths and 228 cases in12
LGAs.
Children aged 5-14 are the most affected age
group accounting for 52 per cent of cases, the
report noted.
Meanwhile, the vaccination exercise in Zamfara
State witnessed massive turnout in the target
Local Government Areas.
Bakare said a public awareness campaign which
began on the 6th of April 2017 in the eight most
affected LGAs targets 300,000 persons aged 2 –
29 years is expected to continue until April 9,
2017, even as more campaigns are planned in
other States in the near future.
The exercise is being conducted by the National
Primary Health Care Development Agency,
NPHCDA, in collaboration with the NCDC in
support to the Zamfara State Government as
part of the on-going response and control
activities to curtail the outbreak in the State.