Nigeria was the first to use the new meningitis vaccine Men5CV, the World Health Organization said in a press release on April 13.
“The introduction of the Men5CV vaccine in Nigeria brings humanity one step closer to our goal of eliminating meningitis by 2030,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
He said that the WHO approved the use of this “revolutionary” vaccine.
The drug was developed by the Indian Serum Institute in collaboration with the non-profit organization PATH with funding from the UK government.
Bacterial meningitis is a serious disease of the central nervous system that occurs due to the penetration of specific bacteria into the spinal cord or brain.
Last year, 26 African countries considered hyperendemic for meningitis reported a 50 percent annual increase in cases, according to the WHO. The organization highlights that between October last year and mid-March this year, 1,742 cases of the disease were suspected in Nigeria and 153 deaths were recorded in seven Nigerian states.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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