EG3246 Spatial Science

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EG3246Spatial Science Health

• Meningitis Roles of NGOs and WHO

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Topics

• The problem of meningitis
• MSF
• WHO
• ReliefWeb

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The problem of meningitis

• Meningitis is not as infamous as other diseases
  such as malaria or HIV
• It is often a neglected disease that receives
  little resources by countries affected
• The geographical limits of meningococcal
  (bacterial) meningitis (CSM) are extensive
• The so called meningitis belt of Africa is of
  greatest concern

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Source Cheesbrough,JS, Morse AP, Green SDR.
Meningococcal meningitis and carriage in western
Zaire a hypoendemic zone related to climate?
Epidemiology and Infection 1995 114 75-92
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The problem of meningitis
MSF and MALSAT
Spatial Distribution Meningitis Epidemics
1841-1999 (n c.425) 1
1 Molesworth A.M., Thomson M.C., Connor S.J.,
Cresswell M.P., Morse A.P., Shears P., Hart C.A.,
Cuevas L.E. (2002) Where is the Meningitis Belt?,
Transactions of the Royal Society of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine, 96, 242-249.
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Médecins sans Frontières

• The worlds largest medical charity and NGO
  operating in dangerous/difficult areas
• Founded in 1971 in France
• Offers medical assistance in times of famine, war
  and natural disasters
• Makes no distinction of political belief,
  religion race or gender
• Operates in over 80 countries

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Médecins sans Frontières

• As well as emergency care, MSF provides capacity
  building and helps create new health facilities
• Annual budget ss 200 million, half of which is
  from charitable donations and the rest mostly
  from UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees)

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Médecins sans Frontières

• Meningitis epidemics regularly sweep across
  Africa from Ethiopia to Senegal, killing around
  25,000 people each year
• Globally, around 170,000 people die each year as
  a result of CSM. About half those infected die,
  having had no treatment, and the rest are often
  left with a permanent disability, such as mental
  retardation, deafness, or paralysis (MSF, 2006).

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Médecins sans Frontières

• MSF has provided medical support in West Africa
  by giving immunisations to the population with
  vaccines
• Vaccines are expensive and the timing of
  intervention is crucial to prevent wastage
• In 2002 Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135
  emerged as a major threat in Burkina Faso
  contributing to an epidemic with 12,000 cases and
  1,500 deaths

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Médecins sans Frontières

• MSF believe that Neisseria meningitidis serogroup
  W135 will spread to other countries
• Insufficient vaccines are manufactured for this
  strain (W135)
• The vaccines currently used in Africa do not
  protect against the W135 serotype. Until now most
  of the meningitis epidemics that have affected
  Africa have been caused by group A meningitis,
  against which there is a vaccine

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World Health Organization

• WHO maintain a dignified distance from the
  logistical problems of dealing with CSM epidemics
  in Africa
• They compile meningitis case statistics both by
  their own reporting mechanisms and from other
  organisations who monitor meningitis epidemiology
  in the African continent.

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World Health Organization

• Following the emergence of the W135 strain in
  West Africa in 2002, WHO has concentrated on
  surveillance of this type
• From 2003 the WHO regional meningitis
  surveillance team has set out to detect, confirm
  and respond to outbreaks in 10 countries across
  the belt

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World Health Organization
WHO vaccination campaign
Burkina Faso Epidemiological
Surveillance
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WHO compile case statistics reports on a regular
basis in a standard format
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WHO compile case statistics reports on a regular
basis in a standard format
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ReliefWeb

• ReliefWeb is the worlds leading on-line gateway
  to information (documents and maps) on
  humanitarian emergencies and disasters
• It provides timely, reliable and relevant
  information as events unfold, while emphasizing
  the coverage of "forgotten emergencies" at the
  same time (RW, 2006)

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ReliefWeb

• ReliefWeb was launched in October 1996 and is
  administered by the UN Office for the
  Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

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