Description of the situation
11 April 1997
Disease Outbreak Reported
As at 11 April, a total of 41,699 cases of meningitis with 4,498 deaths had been reported in Africa. These were mainly from countries in West Africa where epidemics have continued to occur. Burkina Faso with 16,775 cases and 1,953 deaths accounted for 40% of the cases reported this year, Ghana with 13,063 and 1,191 deaths for 31% and Mali with 6,119 cases and 587 deaths for 15%. Cases were also reported in Benin (273 cases, 47 deaths), Gambia (856 cases, 119 deaths), Niger (1,813 cases, 208 deaths), Rwanda (10 cases, 4 deaths), Senegal (13 cases, 4 deaths), and Togo (2,619 cases, 360 deaths). Gambia, Ghana and Togo were less affected during the 1997 epidemics when Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Nigeria reported widespread outbreaks. Burkina Faso reported 42,129 cases, Mali 7,254 and Niger 16,145 cases in 1997. Nigeria, which reported 77,089 cases in 1997, has not yet reported cases during 1997.