Meningitis outbreak in the south

Several cases of meningitis have been detected in the southern Central African Republic (CAR) city of Mobaye, on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to Medicos Sin Fronteras (MSF-Spain). "A local religious community told us last week that 10 cases of meningitis had been detected,” Francis Coteur, the MSF-Spain acting coordinator, told IRIN on Monday. He added that an MSF team would fly to Mobaye by the end of this week to assess the situation to determine whether or not it was a contagious form of meningitis. "If the epidemic is confirmed, we will supply necessary anti-meningitis drugs and vaccines," Coteur said. Mobaye and other areas have been isolated from the capital, Bangui, ever since the failed October coup attempt by supporters of the renegade CAR former chief of staff, Gen Francois Bozize, who still controls areas in the north and south. Stocks of medicines and vaccines in those areas had already run out, exposing local populations to diseases and epidemics, said Coteur. In an endeavour to provide medicines, the representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Aboudou Karimou Adjibade, has started negotiations with both the government and rebels on obtaining NGO and UN access to the areas under rebel control. "We have already contacted the representatives of the rebellion after having had the government’s agreement, in principle, and we are awaiting the rebels’ feedback," Adjibade said on Monday during a UN-NGO humanitarian coordination meeting. He said UNICEF had already sent flown basic drugs to Bambari, 385 km northeast of Bangui, from where they would be distributed via Roman Catholic missions to surrounding areas. He said local vaccination campaigns should be launched while pending a nationwide effort.