The Guinea Bissau Minister of Public Health, Dionisio Cumba, officially launched on Sunday in Bissau a national vaccination campaign against meningitis type A for children aged 9 to 11 months.
Speaking at the launch of the national vaccination campaign, the minister stressed the importance of sensitizing and convincing parents to vaccinate their children as it is the safest and most effective way to prevent and eradicate meningitis.
Thus, the Minister warned that despite Africa’s success in reducing cases of meningitis type A over the past 20 years, the threat is still present and the fight against this scourge must continue to capitalize on the positive results recorded.
Although cases of meningitis type A have decreased considerably in Guinea Bissau, thanks to the efforts of the government and its partners, it remains one of the countries most affected by this disease, which is why vaccination is so important for prevention.
Furthermore, the representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Chantal Kambire, stressed that “Bacterial meningitis remains a major global challenge for children’s health, with more than 1.2 million cases recorded each year”.