Eliminating Epidemic Meningitis in Africa Project

The Eliminating Epidemic Meningitis in Africa Project is a collaboration between ChildAlive and the Meningitis Vaccine Project, which is itself a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and PATH, a Seattle-based nonprofit health organization.

The goal of the project is to create the first comprehensive meningitis prevention program to eliminate epidemic meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Epidemic meningitis is one of the most dreaded diseases in Africa.

• Epidemic meningitis has plagued sub-Saharan Africa for more than 100 years.
• Approximately 481 million people are at risk in the ‘meningitis belt’ that spans sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia.

Meningitis:

• Attacks mostly the young.
• Can kill in hours.
• Kills 10 out of every 100 people who get the disease.
• Leaves 1 out of every 4 survivors with neurological damage ranging from deafness to epilepsy to mental retardation.

Outbreaks of meningitis occur almost every year and can quickly turn into epidemics with devastating results.

• In 1996, more than 250,000 Africans developed meningitis in the largest outbreak ever recorded; an estimated 25,000 died and 60,000 survivors were left with severe and lifelong neurological problems.
• In 2006, a meningitis epidemic in Burkina Faso resulted in more than 19,000 cases and 1,700 reported deaths.

A Solution within Our Reach


We believe that epidemic meningitis in Africa can be eliminated through mass vaccination programs, using affordable new meningitis vaccines currently awaiting approval.

One of these, a meningitis A conjugate vaccine developed by the Meningitis Vaccine Project with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is awaiting certification before being progressively introduced in Africa. The initial mass vaccination program, scheduled in Burkina Faso for the end of 2009, will be the first comprehensive prevention campaign designed to eliminate epidemic meningitis as a public health problem from the African “meningitis belt”.

ChildAlive’s Role

ChildAlive is working to raise funds for Stage 2 of the Eliminating Epidemic Meningitis in Africa Project. This pivotal stage of the overall project will establish a mass-vaccination program in Burkina Faso, one of the African countries most affected by epidemic meningitis. Vaccine introduction in Burkina Faso is the first step toward expanding vaccine use throughout the region.

ChildAlive is reaching out to governments, the private sector and the public to secure $9 million to purchase the new meningitis vaccine that will be used for the first time in Burkina Faso.

• Learn about The Plan to eliminate epidemic meningitis in Africa.
• View the June 2007 BBC documentary featuring the Meningitis Vaccine Project.
  
  

How can you help? Make a donation to ChildAlive and help us purchase vaccines for 9 million children and young adults as the first step in creating a mass vaccination program for the 480 million people at risk in sub-Saharan Africa.

To donate by check please complete the donation form (PDF) and mail it with your check to:

ChildAlive
14505 Gilpin Road
Silver Spring, MD 20906