Preventable ‘meningitis belt’ deaths targeted in health agency action plan

ONU - 10/04
Millions of deaths could be avoided from meningitis if countries are able to adopt new guidelines designed to diagnose and treat the disease more effectively, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. 

People anywhere, at any age can be infected with meningitis, which is transmitted through respiratory secretions or droplets in close human contact. Low and middle-income nations are worst-affected.  

The so-called “meningitis belt” in sub-Saharan Africa sees most cases and outbreaks. It stretches from Senegal and The Gambia in the west of the continent all the way to Ethiopia in the east.  

The most dangerous form of the ...
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