title: Prospects and challenges with introduction of a mono-valent meningococcal conjugate vaccine in Africa.
abstract: Epidemic meningococcal meningitis is a priority disease for prevention and control in Africa. The current World Health Organization (WHO) approach to the control of meningitis epidemics is based on early detection of cases and emergency vaccination of the population at risk with meningococcal polysaccharide (PS) vaccines. But this is a tall order for the developing nations of Africa where experts operate from an ineffective health system. Although the widespread use of meningococal polysaccharide vaccines has had a major and much appreciated public health impact on the disease it has not prevented epidemics of this dreaded infection. The current partnership between WHO and the PATH aims to develop, evaluate and introduce an appropriate and affordable meningococcal conjugate vaccine that could potentially provide for a means of preventing epidemic meningitis caused by N. meningitidis group A. In this paper, we review the prospects and challenges facing the introduction of the mono-valent conjugate vaccine in Africa.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, The Gambia.
authors.forename: Brown J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Okoko
authors.forename: Olubukola T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Idoko
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Adegbola
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003906:Developing Countries; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D038381:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup A / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate