The African Meningitis Belt
credit: CDC
Although meningitis cases can be found on every continent, there is a particular region in Africa called the African Meningitis Belt that is the most affected by this disease. This region spans the continent from the West to the East just below the Sahara, hence the term "Belt". It extends from Senegal to Ethiopia and includes territories of 26 countries.
The African Meningitis Belt is particularly vulnerable to meningitis outbreaks during the Harmattan period. Indeed, the Harmattan are strong winds that carry dust and occur with high temperatures and low humidity, during the dry season, from December to June. It is believed that the extreme conditions can cause damage to the pharynx, increasing the risk of invasive disease.
This region has historically suffered from recurrent meningitis epidemics which occur in cycles of 5 to 10 years, each of them lasting 2-3 dry seasons, ending with the beginning of the rainy season. The African meningitis belt continues to record high numbers of cases every year and each epidemic season causes devastation to the population as it overwhelms the already fragile health systems. In 2019, 22 414 suspected cases and 1 261 deaths were recorded by WHO supported meningitis surveillance system in the region.
