Madam, – Have you heard there is an epidemic? More than 56,000 people have fallen ill, with over 2,000 deaths confirmed. The fatality rate of those infected can reach 50 per cent. Imagine watching scores of neighbours die an agonising death. Now add on the reality that the nearest doctor is 100 miles away and charges twice your family savings for a single visit.
The UN reports that the worst meningitis epidemic in five years is ravaging much of west and central Africa.
In Chad, Niger and Nigeria, Médecins Sans Frontières will vaccinate over seven million people for free, the most ever for the emergency humanitarian organisation.
Influenza A (H1N1), (dubbed swine flu) is certainly a public health disaster requiring extensive news coverage. If the feared pandemic materialises, it could wreak havoc, particularly in the world’s poorest countries where many people still don’t have access to healthcare. But the meningitis epidemic in West and Central Africa is a massive killer today. And I’m guessing many of your readers haven’t heard about it. – Yours, etc,