WHO: Meningitis Outbreak In DR Congo

BRAZZAVILLE, Sept. 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Sep, 2021 ) --:An outbreak of meningitis has been declared in a northeastern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement on Wednesday.

The DRC "has declared an outbreak of meningitis in the northeastern Tshopo Province where 261 suspected cases and 129 deaths, a high case fatality ratio of 50 percent, have been reported," said the WHO's Regional Office for Africa, based in Brazzaville, the DRC capital.

DRC health authorities have deployed an initial emergency team amid efforts to quickly ramp up the response with the support of the WHO, the statement said.

A crisis response committee has been set up in Banalia, the community affected by the outbreak, as well as in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo, to speed up control efforts, according to the statement.

"Meningitis is a serious infection and a major public health challenge. We are moving fast, delivering medicines and deploying experts to support the government's efforts to bring the outbreak under control in the shortest possible time," said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.