UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
Sudan: Meningitis Outbreak Threatening Lives, 4/20/99

Sudan: Meningitis Outbreak Threatening Lives, 4/20/99

SUDAN: Meningitis outbreak threatening lives

NAIROBI, 20 April (IRIN) - A meningitis outbreak is threatening several parts of Sudan, with 7,482 cases and 611 deaths so far reported by UNICEF.

According to Operation Lifeline Sudan (OLS), the worst hit areas are South, North and West Darfur, Sennar and Kordofan. A World Food Programme report noted that in the White Nile area, 31 people - most of them children - died, while 210 others were admitted at Kosti hospital. Health agencies are carrying out vaccination campaigns in the affected areas.

Medecins Sans Frontieres-Belgium has concentrated its campaign in Bahr al-Ghazal, where cases in Wau have reached 15 per 100,000 inhabitants. Cases have also been reported around Ajiep.

OLS also reported severe diarrhoea outbreaks in the Malakal area, with a total of 2,882 cases and 219 deaths as of 8 April.

[ENDS]

Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 18:12:57 +0300 (EAT) From: IRIN - Central and Eastern Africa <irin@ocha.unon.org> Subject: SUDAN: Meningitis outbreak threatening lives [19990420]

Editor: Dr. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D

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