The report said Africa "accounts for 50% of the cases of Meningococcal meningitis in the world," with "the African meningitis belt" stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia, through Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.
"On top of the upsurge in cases reported every year during the dry season, there are periodic devastating epidemics of up to 1,000 cases for 10,000 inhabitants," the report noted.
More than 800 people have died from the disease in Burkina Faso in the last few months. The Institute said the "development of tools for simple and quick diagnosis of Meningococcal meningitis is a major public health challenge." 27 March 2007 - PANA
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