In a historic move, Nigeria has become the first country in the world to introduce a new vaccine (called Men5CV) that protects people from five strains of meningococcal bacteria recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The vaccine and emergency vaccination efforts are being funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which funds the global meningitis vaccine stockpile and supports low-income countries with routine vaccination against meningitis.
Nigeria is one of the 26 countries in Africa where meningitis is most prevalent, located in an area known as the African Meningitis Belt. Last year, the number of annual meningitis cases reported across Africa increased by 50%.
Infectious diseases are prevalent in Nigeria, Neisseria meningitidis (Neisseria meningitidis) serogroup C outbreak has affected seven of Nigeria's 36 states (Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, Zamfara) from October 1, 2023 to March 11, 2024. There were 1,742 suspected meningitis cases, including 101 confirmed cases and 153 deaths. To quell the deadly outbreak, a vaccination campaign was carried out from March 25 to 28, 2024, initially inoculating more than 1 million people between the ages of 1 and 29.
Meningitis is a serious infection that causes inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. There are multiple causes of meningitis, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Common symptoms include headache, fever, and stiff shoulders. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious and can also cause sepsis (sepsis), which can cause severe disability and death within 24 hours of infection.
“Meningitis is an old and deadly enemy, but this new vaccine has the potential to change the trajectory of this disease, prevent future outbreaks and save many lives.” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Nigeria's rollout brings us one step closer to our goal of eliminating meningitis by 2030.”
This innovative new vaccine provides strong protection against the five major strains of meningococcus (A, C, W, Y, and X) in a single dose. All five strains cause meningitis and sepsis. This provides broader protection than the current vaccines used in much of Africa, which are only effective against the A strain.
A new vaccine has the potential to significantly reduce meningitis cases and advance the fight against meningitis. This is particularly important for countries like Nigeria where multiple serogroups are prevalent. The new vaccine uses the same technology as the meningitis A conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac®) that wiped out the meningococcal A epidemic in Nigeria.
“Northern Nigeria, particularly Jigawa, Bauchi and Yobe states, have been severely hit by the deadly meningitis outbreak and this vaccine will help health workers not only stop this outbreak, but also eradicate it in the country. “We provide new means to lead you on the path to.” Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Nigeria. “We have done a lot of work to prepare our health workers and health systems for the rollout of this new vaccine. Despite this period of fasting, we have received significant feedback from our residents and community. We have received invaluable support from our leaders, especially Chief Gumel of Jigawa State, who has personally launched the vaccination campaign in the state. We hope to expand vaccination coverage and accelerate progress in 2020.”
This new multivalent conjugate vaccine has been 13 years in the making and is a partnership between PATH and the Serum Institute of India. Funding from the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office was essential to its development.
In July 2023, WHO prequalified the new Men5CV vaccine (trade name MenFive®) and officially recommended countries to introduce the new vaccine in October 2023. Gabi has allocated resources to deploy Men5CV in December 2023. It is currently available for outbreak response through emergency stockpiles managed by the International Coordination Group on Vaccine Supply (ICG), while rollout through large-scale prevention campaigns is expected to begin nationwide in 2025. Countries in the meningitis belt.
“The rollout of one million vaccines in northern Nigeria will save lives, prevent long-term disease and support the goal of eliminating meningitis worldwide by 2030,” he said. Stated. Andrew Mitchell, UK Minister for Development and Africa; “This is exactly the kind of scientific innovation that the UK is supporting, and we hope that it can be replicated in the coming years to help drive further progress, including eradicating other diseases.”
WHO is supporting the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in its response to the meningitis outbreak in the country. This includes disease surveillance, active case finding, sample testing, and case management. WHO and partners have also played a key role in helping Nigeria prepare for the rollout of new vaccines and train health workers.
“Each year, meningococcal meningitis afflicts countries across Africa,” he said. Dr. Nantalil Mugala, PATH Africa Regional Director. “The introduction of MenFive® in Nigeria heralds a transformative era in the fight against meningococcal meningitis in Africa. This milestone builds on the legacy of previous vaccination efforts. , reflects more than a decade of unwavering, innovative partnerships. The promise of MenFive® lies not only in its immediate impact, but in the countless lives it will save in the years to come, helping us to reduce the threat of this disease. We will bring you closer to a future free from this.”
In 2019, WHO and partners launched a global roadmap to eliminate meningitis by 2030. The roadmap sets out a comprehensive vision. Aiming for a world free of meningitis, And we have three goals:
– Elimination of the spread of bacterial meningitis.
– Reduction of disability and improvement of quality of life after meningitis of any cause.
“As infectious disease outbreaks increase around the world, new innovations like MenFive® are critical to helping us fight back.” Aurélia Nguyen, Chief Program Officer, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is funding global stockpiles and vaccine deployment in low-income countries. “This first shipment marks the start of Gavi’s support for the Multivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MMCV) Program, with donor funding needed for the next five years of work to help increase the number of vaccines available in high-risk countries. A meningococcal conjugate vaccine will be rolled out. Thanks to the vaccine, we have eliminated a large and devastating outbreak of meningitis A in Africa. We now have a long-term We now have the tools to address other serogroups that are still causing large-scale outbreaks resulting in severe disability and death.”
Following Nigeria's meningitis vaccine campaign, a major milestone on the road to meningitis elimination will be the International Summit on Meningitis in Paris in April 2024, where leaders will gather together to will meet to celebrate progress, identify challenges, and evaluate next steps. It also presents an opportunity for country leaders and key partners to commit politically and financially to accelerate progress towards eliminating meningitis as a public health problem by 2030. There is also.