Northwest Nigeria: MSF calls for immediate action as hundreds of patients with meningitis fill MSF-supported hospitals

Since early March, meningitis, an extremely infectious and deadly disease, has been spreading rapidly throughout several states across Northwest Nigeria, mainly in Kebbi and Sokoto States.

The number of cases and deaths are continuously increasing, warns Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) / Doctors Without Borders, and will continue to do so unless sufficient resources for mass vaccination campaigns and other prevention measures are immediately put in place. Healthcare workers in Northern Nigeria are facing a race against time.

In Northwest Nigeria, MSF medical teams have started responding to the increasing needs by treating hundreds of patients, supporting health facilities in the provision of care, and ensuring early access to adequate treatment and healthcare. It is also supplying hospitals with essential drugs and providing training for medical staff.

“The situation is alarming. Meningitis kills quickly if someone does not come to the hospital early enough,” says MSF medical doctor Bukar Galtimari, currently based in Kebbi State, the hardest hit region in Nigeria.

“You see a mother come in with two or three kids affected, and due to the nature of the disease and how quickly it spreads, the threat to their lives is very real.” In Kebbi State only, where MSF has witnessed the biggest surge in admissions of patients with meningitis across the three different Local Government Areas (LGAs) where it is present – Gwandu, Jega and Aliero – the teams have already admitted over 500 patients. More than 60 have died.

Meningitis – especially the Neisseria meningitis present in Nigeria – is a very lethal disease if left untreated. It is estimated that up to 80 percent of patients may die without early access to the treatment. Access to timely care is therefore key. But above all, vaccination plays a pivotal role in preventing the emergence of new cases and spread of disease, consequently saving many lives.

In Sokoto State, which borders Kebbi State, MSF teams are working tirelessly to support the local health system in terms of case management and case-finding to increase the epidemiological capacity in vulnerable communities. In both Sokoto and Kebbi state, MSF is planning to start, support and manage a mass vaccination campaign in collaboration with each state’s Ministry of Health, in some areas as early as the beginning of April.

“The patients we see are suffering from high fever, stiff neck, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, seizures, and sensitivity to light,” says Dr. Galtimari, while highlighting that meningitis is a preventable disease with a vaccine. “Local and federal authorities should do everything they can to speed up their vaccination efforts immediately, ensuring enough doses are available for all affected states. This is the only way to prevent people from dying.”

MSF is sending other emergency teams in the wider northern region of Nigeria to assess the situation as more suspected or confirmed cases are being reported across numerous states in Northern Nigeria. MSF is supporting the healthcare system and is ready to scale up.

Meningitis is an infectious disease that represents a major public health concern in the so-called “African Meningitis Belt,” part of a region of Sub-Saharan Africa that stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia where the disease is most prevalent and cyclical. The environment is dry, hot, and dusty, all factors which can pose a high epidemic risk. The bacteria that cause this disease are transmitted from person-to-person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions.

Time is of the essence, as patients suffering from meningitis can go from fever to a seizure or complete loss of consciousness in less than 24 hours after exposure. Early diagnosis might be difficult, especially in children. A strong mass vaccination campaign is the most effective answer to this deadly outbreak.