Workshop on the Development of National Plans to Defeat Meningitis by 2030 & Measles and Rubella Elimination in Africa
Dates: 12-15 June 2023
Venue: Brazzaville, CONGO
Fifteen participating countries: EPI Managers, Data Managers, Surveillance Officers, Laboratory Officers.
Facilitators: WHO; UNICEF; CDC; MRF (Meningitis Research Foundation); CoMO (Confederation of Meningitis Organizations); PATH
Outcomes:
Tremendous efforts made in the past two decades to fight meningitis, resulted in the dramatic reduction of meningitis disease. However, meningitis non-A epidemics remain greatest in Africa, especially in the African meningitis belt countries with an average of 24 000 suspected cases including 1 800 deaths reported each year.
Member States in the WHO African region endorsed the regional framework to implement the global road map to defeat meningitis in Africa by 2030, during the 71st Regional Committee held in August 2021. This was followed by the launch of the regional implementation framework to defeat meningitis in Africa by 2030, by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, in September 2022.
To ensure countries are all aligned with the vision of a Region free from meningitis by 2030, a first workshop was organized in Nov. 2022, bringing together in Brazzaville (Congo) 15 out of the 38 priority countries to develop their national strategic plans to defeat meningitis by 2030. A subsequent meeting which took place from 12-15 June 2023 in Brazzaville gathered another group of 15 countries for the same purpose. Following introductory presentations covering all components, draft plans were developed by country delegates. The plans will be thoroughly reviewed by facilitators once a more advanced version is shared.
It is worth mentioning that during the last day of the meeting, an update on measles and rubella elimination in the Region was provided together with an overview of the Measles Outbreak Strategic Response Plan including four countries’ experiences. Lastly, the benefits linked to the switching from 10-dose to 5-dosevials of Measles and its potential impact on the increase in immunization were presented. The possibilities of mobilizing resources from Gavi were also discussed.
Authors : Dr Hilaire DADJO, WHO/IST West Africa,