Meningococcal meningitis

Fact sheet N°141 Key facts Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. The meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa, stretching from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, has the highest rates of the disease. In the 2009 epidemic season, 14 African countries implementing enhanced surveillance that reported a total of 78 416 suspected cases, including 4053 deaths, the largest number since the 1996 epidemic. Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines are available to control the disease. A new meningococcal conjugate A vaccine developed specifically for Africa should be available by the end of 2010.