The Ethiopian health ministry is short of vaccines to contain the spread of meningitis that has so far claimed 10 lives in the Southern Nations Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) and infected 612 more, a health update said on Monday.
A meningitis outbreak has been reported in Derashe and Selamago areas of Mursi in the SNNPR region. An earlier outbreak in Wolayita zone of the same region was contained due to the quick response of health ministry and humanitarian partners, according to the update by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
To contain the outbreak, the ministry was educating the affected communities. It was also appealing to donors to bridge the 4.4 million vaccine shortage. "The situation is of major concern as the outbreak started earlier than the normal epidemic time," OCHA noted.
Early symptoms of meningitis include fever, which is followed by a rash and vomiting. Patients suffer stiffness before unconsciousness and death. The meningitis bacteria are transmitted through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions.
Ethiopia lies within an area of sub-Saharan Africa referred to as the meningitis belt. Extending from Senegal, the area includes all or part of at least 15 countries, with an estimated total population of approximately 300 million, according to the World Health Organization. Epidemics occur in seasonal cycles between end-November and end-June, depending on the location and climate of the country, and decline rapidly with the rainy season.
Meanwhile, OCHA said floods in Ethiopia's Somali region had killed 80 people and affected as many as 361,600, of whom 122,500 were displaced in Gode, Afder, Liben and Korahe zones. Heavy rains are forecast, increasing fears of further flooding.
A joint flash appeal is being prepared to address the humanitarian situation. In the meantime, the government and humanitarian actors are providing emergency assistance to meet urgent needs, but were finding it difficult to reach those affected.
"Alternative methods of relief delivery such as helicopters, pack animals, boats and other transport routes are currently being explored," OCHA said. There were also fears of health and nutrition problems aggravated by the flooding, such as the spread of acute watery diarrhea and the possibility of a malaria outbreak.
eo/mw
A meningitis outbreak has been reported in Derashe and Selamago areas of Mursi in the SNNPR region. An earlier outbreak in Wolayita zone of the same region was contained due to the quick response of health ministry and humanitarian partners, according to the update by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
To contain the outbreak, the ministry was educating the affected communities. It was also appealing to donors to bridge the 4.4 million vaccine shortage. "The situation is of major concern as the outbreak started earlier than the normal epidemic time," OCHA noted.
Early symptoms of meningitis include fever, which is followed by a rash and vomiting. Patients suffer stiffness before unconsciousness and death. The meningitis bacteria are transmitted through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions.
Ethiopia lies within an area of sub-Saharan Africa referred to as the meningitis belt. Extending from Senegal, the area includes all or part of at least 15 countries, with an estimated total population of approximately 300 million, according to the World Health Organization. Epidemics occur in seasonal cycles between end-November and end-June, depending on the location and climate of the country, and decline rapidly with the rainy season.
Meanwhile, OCHA said floods in Ethiopia's Somali region had killed 80 people and affected as many as 361,600, of whom 122,500 were displaced in Gode, Afder, Liben and Korahe zones. Heavy rains are forecast, increasing fears of further flooding.
A joint flash appeal is being prepared to address the humanitarian situation. In the meantime, the government and humanitarian actors are providing emergency assistance to meet urgent needs, but were finding it difficult to reach those affected.
"Alternative methods of relief delivery such as helicopters, pack animals, boats and other transport routes are currently being explored," OCHA said. There were also fears of health and nutrition problems aggravated by the flooding, such as the spread of acute watery diarrhea and the possibility of a malaria outbreak.
eo/mw
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