Vaccines and meningitis

In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB). 

- NIRMAL JOVIAL

Here, meningitis, a serious infection of the meninges the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord-is hyper-endemic. The incidence of meningitis varies globally, with the highest rates found in the AMB. The region is particularly susceptible to meningococcal meningitis due to its high temperature, geographical proximity to the desert, and the influence of the dry season on air particulate concentration. Historically, major epidemics have occurred in the AMB every 5 to 12 years, with the disease proving fatal in 80 per cent of cases if untreated.