NIGERIA: In the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recent launch of a global roadmap to end Meningitis, Nigeria has taken in its strike to end Meningitis by the year 2030.
The intervention programs launched include the commencement of the Meningitis A Conjugate vaccine in the regular immunisation exercise.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), made this known during the official launching of the global roadmap to end meningitis by 2030, according to the WHO.
WHO’s global roadmap launch exhibits meaningful determination to end meningitis in Nigeria by the year 2030.
The roadmap is necessary for Nigeria as meningitis remains Nigeria’s major public health problem. Nigeria still records a huge number of cases of the disease, making the introduction of different programs to help in achieving a meningitis free nation by the year 2030, all the more important.
The global roadmap sets out a plan to fight the main causes of acute bacterial meningitis through three strategic goals such as; eliminating epidemics of bacterial meningitis, reducing cases of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis by 50 per cent and deaths by 70 per cent, lowering disability and improving the standard of life after meningitis.
With support from WHO and partners, Nigeria is working towards perfecting conditions, detection and response to meningitis, Ihekweazu added.
He also noted that some of NCDC’s interventions include the training and retraining of clinicians on case management and lumbar puncture to increase the rate of confirmation of cases of meningitis.
“This is in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and other government agencies.”
Ihekweazu added that cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis are reported every year all over the country, hence is a priority epidemic-prone disease.
The biggest burden is happening in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa known as the “Meningitis Belt”. In Nigeria, the belt consists of 19 northern states, Ihekweazu stated.
Ihekweazu addressed the general public to follow preventive measures properly and be aware of the threat coming along with meningitis.
Ihekweazu, however, said that the substantial application of the global strategy to end meningitis would depend on strong political will and a whole-of-society approach at the country, and at all levels.
Ihekweazu assured that recounting Nigeria’s encounter with yearly outbreaks of meningitis, the aim is to remain committed to contributing to global research and development.
Identifying and handling the disease epidemic, NCDC is committed to collaborating with states, WHO and other partners in achieving the roadmap of defeating meningitis by 2030 in Nigeria and globally.
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