SEARO spearheads a strategic roadmap for “Defeating meningitis by 2030” in the South East Asia region

Defeating meningitis by 2030
WHO
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Meningitis is a major global public-health challenge with frequent epidemics seen across the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a devastating disease with a high case fatality rate and can lead to serious long-term complications (sequelae).

With 27% of the world’s population, WHO’s South-East Asia Region (SEAR) contributes to 23% of deaths due to bacterial meningitis (second in ranking in  the WHO regions); 31% cases of global Pneumococcal meningitis and 27% global deaths; and 42% Hib meningitis with 50% global deaths. Long lasting protection against  meningitis is possible with safe affordable vaccines.

A global roadmap to defeat Meningitis by 2030

To address meningitis as a major    global public health challenge ,   the “Defeating Meningitis by 2030” initiative was taken up by WHO along with  partners who collaborated to develop a strategic  roadmap. This was approved in the first-ever resolution on meningitis by the World Health Assembly in 2020 and endorsed unanimously by WHO Member states.

As members of the global technical task force, a joint team of SEARO from  the Department of Communicable Diseases (CDS), Immunization and Vaccine Development (IVD) unit and the WHO Health Emergencies (WHE) unit have been contributing to the global roadmap finalization and its implementation in the WH0 regions and Member states, including developing the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan.

The roadmap focuses on acute bacterial meningitis [meningococcus, pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae (HiB) and Group B Streptococcus (GBS)]. A comprehensive vision is envisaged so as to enable  building  a world free of meningitis by achieving three goals, namely:

  1. To eliminate bacterial meningitis epidemics;
  2. To reduce cases of vaccine preventable bacterial meningitis by 50% and deaths by 70%; and
  3. To reduce disability and improvement of quality of life after meningitis due to any cause.

The strategic  roadmap outlines the process through which these goals can be achieved. To do so it recommends following five interconnected pillars:

Pillar 1: Prevention and epidemic control - develop new affordable vaccines; achieve high immunization coverage; improve prevention strategies and response to meningitis epidemics.

Pillar 2: Diagnosis and treatment – focus on speedy confirmation of meningitis and optimal patient care.

Pillar 3: Disease surveillance – guide meningitis prevention and control.

Pillar 4: Care and support – prioritize early recognition and improved access to care and support for complications.

Pillar 5: Advocacy and engagement – ensure high awareness of the condition and promote country engagement and affirm the right to prevention, care and after-care services.

Rolling-out the roadmap in the South-East Asia Region

As next steps, the Regional Office team is working with WHO  Headquarters  to initiate relevant communications within the SEAR  and also with its senior management and through them with Member states to consult appropriate ways of implementing the global roadmap. These will be followed by a high-level landscape analysis on meningitis burden and assessment of health services based on information that is already available or easily obtainable by SEARO  for countries within the SEAR.

Based on the landscape analysis and other factors such as current regional priorities, current country prioritization plans, and in particular, potential country commitment to participate, Member states will be prioritized for the roll- out of the global roadmap in SEAR.

References

  • Meningitis, WHO,  (website) available at https://www.who.int/health-topics/meningitis, accessed April 2022.
  • Wahl B, O'Brien KL, Greenbaum A, Majumder A, Liu L, Chu Y, Lukšić I, Nair H, McAllister DA, Campbell H, Rudan I, Black R, Knoll MD. Burden of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b disease in children in the era of conjugate vaccines: global, regional, and national estimates for 2000-15. Lancet Glob Health. 2018 Jul;6(7):e744-e757. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30247-X. PMID: 29903376; PMCID: PMC6005122.