Meningitis Remains a Challenge for Africa, India - Report

[naij]

BOOK INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TICKETS LOCAL FLIGHTS HOTELS BOOKINGS WORLDWIDE AND MORE AT CHEAPEST RATE EVER! CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT AND RECEIVE YOUR FLIGHT TICKET INSTANTLY

Loading...

Children in South Asia and Africa continue to face the threat of infection from meningitis. Despite progress in vaccines, there are still poor health infrastructures in key areas and inadequate access to medical services.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says promoting vaccination programs faces challenges, with outbreaks of several forms of meningitis causing child mortality rates as high as 60 percent across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Meningitis still threatens children

Mathuram Santosham, a professor of pediatrics and pediatric medicine at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Medicine, said while vaccinations programs have been very successful in the West and developed regions, children in developing countries remain at risk.

"The disease pretty much disappeared in the U.S., Europe and other countries. It's now working well; but the places where children are dying are not Western countries and European countries, it's India and Africa," he said.

"When a child gets meningitis, even when the best care is available the mortality is between three and 10 percent. But in the poor countries where there isn't good access to medical care, it can be as high as 60 percent," Santosham told VOA.

The disease largely affects young children.

Meningitis has lasting effects

Even for those who survive, there is a 30 to 40 percent chance of serious neurological complications affecting the child's long term health.

The major cause of bacterial meningitis - one of several forms of the disease - is the Haemophilus Influenza type b or Hib.

The disease causes an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known together as the meninges.