May 4, 2005
No. 18/05

United States Provides $400,000 to Purchase Meningitis Vaccine

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) - The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, is providing a grant of $400,000 (3,440,000 Birr) to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health's Meningitis Epidemic Preparedness Plan and its efforts to purchase without delay the meningitis vaccines needed to address the recent outbreak of meningitis in Ethiopia.

UNICEF announced on April 13, 2005 that a meningitis outbreak in four regions -

Tigray, Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz, and Oromia - has already claimed the lives of 40 people and infected more than 433.  While current vaccine supplies are adequate, according to UNICEF, additional vaccines need to be procured because public health experience confirms the importance of responding rapidly should further worsening of meningitis outbreaks occur.  Fatality rates can be as high as 10 percent even with adequate case management.

The U.S. grant to WHO recognizes that organization's worldwide expertise in addressing health threats such as this one, as well as its close cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Health in implementing the meningitis epidemic-preparedness plan.

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