A campaign to vaccinate 27 million Ethiopians between one and 29 years of age against Meningococcal Meningitis A began in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR), Oromia Region and Addis Ababa in October; the campaing will be completed by 7 November 2014.

A Meningitis risk assessment conducted by WHO, with support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), determined the risk profile by region in 2012. Ethiopia has launched large scale campaigns in three phases targeting all regions over a period of three years; the first phase, conducted in October 2013, successfully reached 19 million people. 

The largest burden of Meningitis occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa, known as the ‘Meningitis Belt’ that stretches from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east. Neisseria meningitidis is recognized as the leading cause of Meningitis with sero-group A identified as the dominant cause of the disease.

Through the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP), a new Meningococcal A Conjugate vaccine, “MenAfriVac®”, has been developed for the African Region to provide a preventive measure through mass vaccination campaigns. Meningococcal A Conjugate vaccine has the major advantage of providing longer and stronger protection, and rapidly inducing herd immunity even among children below two years. Vaccination campaigns have been conducted in several countries in the African region with remarkable outcome.

The MVP, a partnership between WHO and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), was created in 2001 with core funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Its goal is to eliminate epidemic Meningitis as a public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For more information, please contact: Dr Fiona Braka, Maternal and Child Health, and Nutrition Cluster Coordinator, WHO Ethiopia; Email: brakaf [at] who.int

Photos: WHO Ethiopia/ Dr Desta Belew (SNNPR), Jalle Teferi (Oromia), Viivi Erkkila (Oromia)