Warning of meningitis epidemic

Ethiopia may be facing a major meningitis epidemic with up to 31 million people at risk, an official from the ministry of health warned on Tuesday. "We think this will be an epidemic year and all the signs are there," said Doctor Solomon Worku who is in charge of tackling epidemics in Ethiopia. "Up to 31 million people are at risk of infection from the bacteria." Since September last year, 1,308 cases of meningitis have been reported and 79 people have died. Dr Solomon told IRIN that major outbreaks usually occur in the country every ten years and normally several years after epidemics in the neighbouring country Sudan – which was last hit three years ago. Dr Solomon also said that Ethiopia is usually hard hit because of the high population of the country – currently around 65 million people. "In high density areas the bacteria spreads very easily and quickly," he said. "In areas where there is a dense population it transmits very fast through droplets." He said the bacteria spreads extremely quickly during the dry season – the period from January to March. "The length of the epidemic depends on the intervention taken and the resources that are mobilised for the fight against the epidemic," he stressed. He said this particular epidemic was bacterial meningitis – one of the less severe types but one which could still kill many victims. The ministry of health is desperately trying to raise funds for vaccines and estimates it needs around 15 million Ethiopian birr (US $1.7 million.) The current budget for tackling the bacteria is two million birr. "We are in need of much more money for vaccines and we are very short so that causes more problems," Dr Solomon added. He said the ministry was working with other organisations to fight meningitis. The World Health Organisation is aware of the concern and is currently organising preventative measures to stop the spread of the bacteria. Aid agencies are also providing help. The Dutch arm of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has been working since mid-December in two affected areas. Dr Solomon said that the areas most affected are in Sidamo, Gamo Gofa, Oromiya and Benishangul. Teams of health workers have been travelling to the affected areas to treat victims and monitor the spread. MSF, which is running three treatment centres in the Sidamo Zone, said it is one of the worst affected areas. At present an area is classified as an epidemic when 10 people per 100,000 are infected. In Sidamo, the number of reported cases is between three and five times that figure. Those particularly at risk are aged between two and 30, Dr Solomon said. So far the number of fatalities is around six per cent which doctors see as an acceptable rate, he added. "The cases we have at the moment have been managed well and those that have died so far have had dual infections of meningitis and malaria but this is still the start of a major meningitis epidemic," he stressed. The last major epidemic was in 1989 with 45,806 cases reported and 1,686 deaths. Unlike previous epidemics, it included for the first time areas outside the traditional meningitis belt, affecting regions as far south as Wollega in Oromiya Region, a UN report said.