CHEP marks 2023 World Meningitis Day

Concern Health Education Project (CHEP), a non-governmental organization(NGO) has marked this year's World Meningitis Day with a call on the government of Ghana to ensure that the road map agreed upon by the United Nations (UN) member countries to defeat meningitis is fulfilled.

A press statement signed by its Executive Director, Isaac Ampomah said the agreed road map can be achieved through effective health systems and continuous immunization programs in the country.

The statement indicated that despite significant progress over the last few decades, meningitis remains a much-feared disease worldwide with a high case fatality rate and a propensity to cause epidemics that present a major challenge for health systems, economies, and societies.

It said that meningitis caused an estimated 250,000 deaths in 2019, leaving one in five affected individuals with long-term devastating sequelae, and has serious consequences with considerable emotional, social, and financial impact on individuals, families, and communities.

The statement added that the World Health Organization (WHO), with its global partners and experts involved in meningitis prevention and control, led the development of a global roadmap that sets forth a vision and roadmap to defeat meningitis by 2030, involving hundreds of experts, member state representatives, partners, Civil Society Organizations as well as private sector representatives through multidisciplinary, iterative and comprehensive consultations.

It said the "Defeating Meningitis by 2030 Global Road Map" has been approved by the Seventy-third session of the WHO Assembly in November 2020 (resolution WHA73.9).

The road map sets a comprehensive vision for 2030 “Towards a world free of meningitis”, with three visionary goals:

Elimination of bacterial meningitis epidemics; Reduction of cases of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis by 50% and deaths by 70%, Reduction of disability and improvement of quality of life after meningitis due to any cause.

It sets a path to achieve goals, through concerted actions across five interconnected pillars:

Prevention and epidemic control focused on the development of new affordable vaccines, achievement of high immunization coverage, improvement of prevention strategies and response to epidemics; Diagnosis and treatment, focused on speedy confirmation of meningitis and optimal management; Disease surveillance to guide meningitis prevention and control; Care and support of those affected by meningitis, focusing on early recognition and improved access care and support for after-effects from meningitis, Advocacy and engagement, to ensure high awareness of meningitis consideration into countries plans, and increase the right to prevention, care and after-care services.

It said while the road map on defeating meningitis addresses all meningitis regardless of the cause, it primarily focuses on the main causes of acute bacterial meningitis (meningococcus, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, and group B streptococcus), which were responsible for over 50% of the 250 000 deaths from all-cause meningitis in 2019.

To this end, the Concern Health Education Project (CHEP) and its partners recommended to the government of Ghana through its state bodies, the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS), some measures to adopt in the fight against Meningitis as follows:

Make available the Ghana version of the Meningitis Road Map Action Plan and incorporate the actions into all National Immunization Programs and other Health Awareness campaigns.

Actively involve Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and charge them to support state institutions in achieving the 2030 Road Map.

Continuously ensure that the Health Budget in Ghana is increased above or to the 15% Abuja Declaration threshold.

Redirect COVID-19 health levies into health systems to support services that will provide quality care for all Ghanaians and those who may not be able to afford it.

Work to sustain the National Health Insurance Scheme and devise innovative ways to expedite allocations on time.

Periodically include the prevention programs and care such that the Road Map Targets can be achieved.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It is most often caused by infection (viral, fungal, or bacterial).

Bacterial meningitis is caused by several bacterial pathogens but Neisseria meningitis (Nm), Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type B represent the triad causing over 80% of all cases of bacterial meningitis.

Outbreaks due to meningococcal meningitis remain a major public health challenge in the meningitis belt.

Ghana is among the globally identified belts where Meningitis is considered. The Northern regions of Ghana have predominantly remained the areas the disease is prone.

World Meningitis Day is marked globally on October 5 each year, to create awareness about the disease and to ensure that counties follow the agreed road map in the fight against Meningitis.

The 2023 edition was marked on the theme: “Lighting the road towards defeating Meningitis by 2030."