Meningitis outbreak in north

A massive immunisation campaign was to be launched in the north of the country on Wednesday after 50 cases of meningitis were reported in Engela district in the Ohangwena region, 'The Namibian' reported. It said that so far the outbreak had only claimed one life - that of an Angolan child.

Acting Director of Health for the North West, Eloby Amundaba, was quoted as saying that immunisation teams would cover 104 points, including schools and clinics in the Engela Health District. The campaign would last for three days, he said.

According to the report, Amundaba said many villages along the border with Angola were affected by the epidemic. He said most of the victims appeared to come from villages just on the Angolan side of the border. "The first meningitis victim, who died in Engela Hospital last week, was a child from Angola," he was quoted as saying.

Amundaba said Angolan children from villages close to the border could cross the frontier to nearby Namibian clinics and schools for immunisation. "Ten percent of our immunisation will be for the Angolan children who are living along the border in Angola. We are fully prepared and hope that all children in that target group will be immunised," he said, urging parents to take their children to immunisation points.