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Meningitis outbreak hits capital

    NAIROBI

    An outbreak of meningitis in Addis Ababa has killed 19 people and infected another 648 people. The outbreak began in March and has been exacerbated by overcrowding and unhygienic living conditions in four poor urban districts in the capital, a representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) told Reuters. Eyob Tsegaye, a WHO programme officer, said the outbreak threatened to reach epidemic proportions. Ethiopia is one of the 12 countries in what is called Africa’s “meningitis belt”, but the outbreak in Addis Ababa is unusual, particularly during the rainy season, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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