Nigeria struggles to rein in a widespread meningitis outbreak

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigerian health authorities are struggling to contain a rapidly spreading meningitis outbreak that has so far killed 151 people across the west African nation, mostly in remote parts of the northern region with children affected the most. While cases first recorded in October have spread to 23 of Nigeria's 36 states, nearly half of the deaths, 74, were reported this year, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control said this week, with local partners describing the recent rise in fatalities as "alarming." Most deaths from the disease have been mainly due to infected people not going to health facilities or arriving there late with severe complications, NCDC spokesperson Sani Datti told The Associated Press, a common problem in past outbreaks in the country. The current outbreak has hit Africa's most populous country as its health sector reels from U.S. aid cuts ordered by the Trump administration in February that have affected multiple countries. Nigeria relied heavily on such aid over the years to help fight similar outbreaks and support its underfunded healthcare systems. Seasonal meningitis outbreaks are common during the dry season, especially in northern Nigeria. Almost all the worst-hit states are in the north, where health providers have warned the outbreak is rapidly spreading in hard-to-reach areas. Meningitis, more common during the hot season in Nigeria, affects the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It's a major public health challenge for a country already grappling with "the world's highest burden of malaria," according to the World Health Organization. Last week, Nigeria received the first batch of more than 1 million vaccine doses from the global vaccine alliance Gavi, described by local officials as a crucial milestone in disease response. The Nigeria CDC also said it is working with state authorities to scale up disease surveillance with a focus on tracking new cases, laboratory testing, and public sensitization campaigns to curb the outbreak. Campaigns are also being rolled out, urging residents to take precautionary measures and seek immediate medical attention if they are experiencing symptoms such as high fever, stiff neck and severe headaches. However, access to hospitals remains a huge problem, local partners say. "We have seen hundreds of admissions and scores of deaths in just a few weeks. The high fatality rate is due to access (to) care, there are challenges with that and low vaccination coverage," said Simba Tirima, Nigeria's country representative for French medical charity Doctors Without Borders, or MSF. Tirima told the AP that the most vulnerable are residents in remote areas who often arrive late to MSF facilities. "We know that meningitis progresses rapidly, and patients' (conditions) can deteriorate in 24 hours," he said, calling for mass vaccination campaigns.