Proper meningitis vaccination coverage could prevent 3 million cases and 900,000 deaths by 2030

Proper meningitis vaccination coverage could prevent 3 million cases and 900,000 deaths by 2030. The person responsible for the fight against meningitis at WHO, Marie-Pierre Preziosi, “with the right vaccination coverage, the disease can be eliminated” and, if the road map is worldwide, “nearly three million cases of meningitis, 900,000 deaths between now and 2030.” and 800,000 cases of disability due to this disease could be avoided.”

Meningitis is a fatal and debilitating disease; It strikes quickly, causes serious health, economic and social consequences and affects people of all ages in all parts of the world. The Roadmap to End Meningitis by 2030 is an innovative plan that comprehensively addresses how to detect, control and defeat meningitis in all regions of the world, and how to ensure recovery for those affected by this deadly disease.

As Marie-Pierre Preziosi explained, the event will take place at the Pasteur Institute and will have the support of eminent athletes who will champion the cause ahead of the Paralympic Games in Paris, since “meningitis is a disease that those who suffer from it may be affected by it.” very serious, since one in six people will die, and one in five people who survive the acute form of the infection will be left with permanent disability. “Some of our Paralympic athletes have had meningitis and still become athletes, and they are actually going to compete in the next games,” he stressed.

Proper meningitis vaccination coverage could prevent 3 million cases and 900,000 deaths by 2030.

If fully funded and implemented, the roadmap could prevent at least 900,000 deaths and 2.7 million vaccine-preventable meningitis infections by 2030. It would also save between $4 billion and $10 billion in medical costs for affected communities and the health care sector, plus billions more in indirect costs.

For this reason, the expert highlighted the potential of new vaccines against meningitis, such as “the new pentavalent vaccine Men5CV, registered by WHO a year ago and which covers the five most common meningitises in Africa.”

“Previously they used a monovalent vaccine, but it covered one of the main causes, not all. And this vaccine covers all causes. Recommendations for use were made in October, and in March there was a serious epidemic of meningococcal C in Nigeria, and for the first time they had a vaccine that could cover all the different causes. This is a big step forward because we believe that in the coming years we will be able to, so to speak, erase the term “meningitis belt” from Africa,” explained Marie-Pierre Preziosi.

Thus, this affected the effectiveness of these new vaccines, “since they are conjugate vaccines created using similar technology, which is very important for providing both indirect and direct protection.”

“These vaccines are very effective because they are conjugate vaccines. We actually conjugate the vaccine to the antigen. That is, the capsule of the bacterium, which is the shell of the bacterium along with the carrier protein, and the connection between the protein and this antigen, which is, so to speak, sugar, is very immunogenic,” he clarified.

However, for the Elimination Meningitis Initiative to succeed in 2030, the expert noted that “$440 million” (€411 million) and “a catalytic investment of $130 million just for priority research activities will be required.” it will contribute to that success and lead to other successes. “And the profitability is very good,” he assured.

“Our health systems are not equipped to monitor and assess people with meningitis. Thus, there are no systems in place to detect any of these effects and consequences. Secondly, if there are consequences, there are no rehabilitation services or equipment available. Countries should invest in more than just epidemic prevention through vaccination and good surveillance. Countries must invest in improving diagnostic, treatment and care services,” warned Dr Tarun Dua, head of the Brain Health Unit.

The roadmap, endorsed by the World Health Assembly in its first-ever resolution on meningitis in 2020, details how to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of meningitis step by step.

The goals will be achieved through five pillars: epidemic prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, disease surveillance, care and support, and advocacy and commitment. This approach not only aims to prevent and treat meningitis, but also highlights the need for support and care for people living with disabling conditions resulting from the infectious disease.