Lagos — CEREBROSPINAL meningitis is an epidemic prone disease mostly caused by a bacterium - nesseriae meningitis. In Nigeria , the hot season is linked to the disease that for years had been noted in northern Nigeria .

Times have changed. Climatic changes have seen other parts of Nigeria sharing in the heat that once was known mostly in northern Nigeria. Ease of travels has aided the spread of the disease.

Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Health show how static we are. "The epidemic usually occurs in a circle of 10-12 years. The last major epidemic in Nigeria occurred in 1996/97 when over 108,568 cases and about 11,231 deaths were recorded," the Ministry said.

Beyond the statistics, we did not act in a manner that reflected any knowledge of the implications of another circle of meningitis. Did we need a World Health Organisation alert of last November to remember the disease's circle?

Since last January when the Presidency alerted the Federal Ministry of Health of an outbreak of CSM in Zinder Region of Niger Republic action was taken to prevent outbreak of the disease in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States, the same traditional way of treating the epidemic.

That 5,323 cases and 333 deaths have been reported from 22 states, with 89 LGAs means the epidemic has crossed the threshold.

Cases and deaths, on 17-20 February, caused WHO and the Ministry to conduct detection, verification, and confirmation in Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, and Borno States. CSM vaccines UNICEF Headquarters donated were distributed to seven States - Adamawa, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, and Yobe. All these were reactions to detections of the disease in States considered outside "the belt".

Ministry scientists are currently in 22 States carrying out further laboratory confirmation of cases and more vaccines are on the way.

The pitiable thing is the assumption that the disease is only prevalent in the north. The ease of movement round the country means infected people who are not vaccinated could spread the disease to places the Federal Ministry of Health does not include in its "belt" that is based on statistics of 12 years ago.

Nigerians need to know how safe they are from meningitis. The truth is that the Federal Ministry of Health that should tell them appears not to know because its approach to controlling the spread of meningitis is based on the same method of depending on statistics that do not consider changes in the way we live.

There is no "belt" or "threshold" for meningitis. The Federal Ministry of Health should make vaccine available nationwide and embark on campaigns to have people vaccinated.

Cost of accessing the vaccines now is high in parts of the country that are rated "outside the belt" and most private hospitals are racketeering on the vaccine. Government should make the vaccine available at affordable rates to save the lives of millions of Nigerians who do not know the dangers of meningitis.