Health officials act to contain meningitis scare

Health officials in the northern province of Ngozi have said they are gearing up to prevent a possible meningitis outbreak in the area, according to a report reaching IRIN on Thursday. An assessment mission that visited the province from 19 to 21 July compiled the report. It comprised six officials from the Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the University Teaching Hospital of Kamenge, The mission saw five cases of suspected meningitis at the Kiremba Hospital. All the patients came from the nearby hills of Ragwe and Nyamarobe. Another two suspected cases, from the commune of Mwumba, were admitted to Ngozi Hospital on Sunday. The steps taken to contain the outbreak include the delivery of 25,000 doses of vaccines and 400 ampoules of chloramphenicol (a broad-spectrum antibiotic used especially in treating typhoid fever and rickettsial infections), according to the mission's report. It said that UNICEF had appealed for help towards resupplying the health ministry with vaccines. Planned action included the training of health personnel in epidemiological surveillance and reporting. Efforts were also to be made to inform the public about the disease because, with the outbreak coming just after a vaccination against measles and polio, "rumours" had surfaced to the effect that meningitis was a result of the vaccinations, the report said. Health authorities were also planning to implement a mass vaccination against meningitis in the Ragwe and Nyamabrobe hills, the sites of the suspected cases, it added.