Meningitis Kills 118 In 21 States

No fewer than 118 persons have died of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) in 21 states between 2022 and April 2, 2023, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed.

A report from NCDC revealed that 22 States reported suspected Cerebrospinal Meningitis cases in 2022/2023.

They are Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara.

The report explained that Jigawa with (1,064 cases), Yobe (234 cases), Zamfara (36 cases), Bauchi (23 cases) and Adamawa (21 cases) have 93 per cent of all the cumulative cases in the five states.

According to the report, 14 local government areas across four states of Jigawa (8), Yobe (4), Bauchi (1) and Zamfara (1) – reported more than 10 cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis each during the 2022/2023 CSM seasons.

The report also explained that males were 57 per cent, while females were 43 per cent of the cases.

Jigawa State, according to the report, had been in an outbreak since week 40 (2022), with 11 out of 22 local government areas affected.

The NCDC stated that Yobe State is being supported to generate enough surveillance/laboratory data/evidence to make a request for vaccines in a suspected outbreak.

The report explained that the national multi-sectoral Cerebrospinal Meningitis Technical Working Group (TWG) continued to monitor response across states with a view to curbing the spread of Cerebrospinal Meningitis.