The Covid-19 pandemic has compromised the elimination of the severe form of meningitis with more than 50 million children not vaccinated once morest the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a press release.
“(…) The consequences of COVID-19 are hampering our efforts to eradicate this bacterial infection as a public health threat and might lead to catastrophic resurgences,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa .
According to the UN health organization, meningitis control activities fell by 50% in 2020 compared to 2019, with “a slight improvement in 2021”.
Countries including Benin, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Togo have postponed their vaccination campaigns to administer the MenAfricVac vaccine, which aims to protect a total of 50 million children under 12 years of age once morest type A meningitis.
