Burkina Faso - Meningitis Epidemic
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| Map of Burkina Faso |
Regional Team: SWAN
Disaster Declared: 04/10/07
Brief Description: Between January and April 2007, Government of Burkina Faso (GOBF) health authorities reported more than 19,500 cases of meningitis in the country, causing 1,337 deaths as of April 4. From January to March 2007, the number of reported cases exceeded 19,000, which equaled the total number of reported cases during the last major meningitis outbreak in Burkina Faso in 1996. According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 41 of 55 health districts required immediate assistance to treat meningitis and prevent further loss of life. The rapid increase in the number of reported cases strained the capacity of the GOBF to respond.
On April 10, 2007, U.S. Ambassador Jeanine E. Jackson declared a disaster due to the spread of meningitis. In response, OFDA contributed $450,000 through the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou to the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide urgently needed vaccinations necessary to maintain control of the meningitis outbreak. This contribution completed the vaccination requirement for the ongoing immunization program, which other donors also supported.
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