Workshop on the development of the National Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030

Fifteen countries from high to medium risk of meningitis participated in the first workshop to develop national plans for defeating meningitis by 2030 (28-30 November 2022, Kintele, Congo). 

The meeting was facilitated by staff from WHO, UNICEF, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC) Atlanta, the West African Health Organization (WAHO), the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO).

The participating countries were Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DRC, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, South Sudan and Togo.

At the end of the workshop, a initial draft of the 2023-2027 national plans was developed and discussed. 

The next steps include, among others, the identification of partners to support and finance plan implementation, the integration of meningitis within primary health care and other programs, the development of follow-up guidelines for meningitis survivors for two years, to assist in the early identification of sequelae.

It was agreed that by 31 January 2023, all draft plans should be finalized.

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Authors: Hilaire DADJO (WHO/IST West), André BITA (WHO/AFRO), Anderson LATT (WHO/Dakar Hub)

Photo caption & credits: Kintele workshop, group photo, WHO AFRO