More than 80 cases have been recorded in Cameroon, but government says not to panic

The government has launched a campaign to prevent the spread of meningitis. Reports from the North region say more than 50 people in the region, a majority of whom are children below the age of five, have been allegedly affected by the disease. Some of the localities affected include Souari, Yelwa, Camp chinois, Foulbéré,

The regional boss of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation revealed that the ministry of public health recently sent out service notes to regional delegates. The ministry, in the service notes, requested the delegates to organise vaccination campaigns, at the same time inform people there is no cause for alarm. We learned some parents in the North region where the disease has already killed two children, are putting traditional methods of treatment above modern medicines.

The Far North region is the second region hit by meningitis. The disease killed nine people in the Centre region last month. The nine who died in Yaounde were part of 30 infected victims. The first cases were diagnosed in a few patients in the Yaounde, Center region on March 10 and March 19. Government blocked the staff of the hospitals where the cases were recorded, from revealing there was an outbreak.

It should be noted that several other countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been hit by meningitis; namely the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Niger, Ghana. The highest number of deaths have been recorded in Nigeria (269) where there is currently a shortage in meningitis vaccines.