Anne Mugisa And Irene Nabusoba
10 March 2008
Kampala — THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that Haemophilus Influenza b (HIB) meningitis in children under five years has been eliminated from Uganda. WHO said yesterday that the bacterial Hib meningitis was wiped out through nationwide immunisation.
Hib, an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, is the main cause of pneumonia and meningitis, which globally kill about 400,000 children under five years, WHO added. Most of the deaths occur in poor countries.
The other vulnerable people are those whose spleens have been removed, those with HIV and those with sickle cell disease.
Hib meningitis first attacks the upper respiratory system before moving to the brain and the spinal cord, where it iflames the linings.
The disease is also responsible for about three million cases of deafness, learning disabilities, paralysis and mental retardation.
The Geneva-based UN organisation said the occurrence of the disease in Uganda had been monitored since the vaccination exercise started in 2001 until 2006.
"Incidence dropped by 85% within four years of vaccine introduction and to zero in the fifth year," WHO stated.
According to WHO, 30,000 cases of severe Hib attacks and 5,000 child deaths were prevented through immunisation every year.
The Director General of Health Services, Dr. Sam Zaramba, said the elimination of meningitis would help the country realise its millennium development goal of reducing child deaths by two-thirds by 2015.
"We have been having new vaccines added to the traditional ones. The new one has greatly cut the incidents of HIB and its attendant complications and long-term effects. We will continue with the immunisation exercise as the government is providing the funding," Zaramba said.
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A Day to celebrate: This is wonderful news for the children of Uganda and another huge step for vaccines in the world. Frankie Milley, Mom to Ryan, who died with a vaccine preventable form of meningitis. Meningitis Angels, Founder/National Executive Director, http://www.meningitis-angels.org Meningitis Survivor, Helen Keller said, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." I say together we can stop deadly vaccine preventable diseases, Frankie Milley