Meningitis during COVID -19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A call for concern

Okonji, Osaretin Christabel; Rackimuthu, Sudhan; Gangat, Shazil Ahmed; Mohanan, Parvathy; Uday, Utkarsha; Іслам, З.М.; Essar, Mohammad Yasir; Bushabu, Fidele Nyimi

doi:10.1016/j.cegh.2021.100955

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This is further worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic making an accurate diagnosis challenging. COVID-19 manifests a wide range of symptoms, including fever, headache, fatigue, decreased or loss of sense of smell, respiratory symptoms, and neurological symptoms, such as meningitis 17 . In addition to the similarity in presenting complaints, both meningitis and COVID-19 are contagious and can spread via respiratory droplets or person-to-person contact.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to scars and limb amputations following sepsis, these side effects also include hearing loss, seizures, limb weakness, and difficulty with vision, speech, language, memory, and communication. Loss of loved ones to these diseases significantly affected the mental health of the Niger population, making them prone to disorders such as anxiety and depression 17 , 31 . Moreover, the most affected population is healthcare workers, who are prone to two highly transmissible and deadly diseases.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Meningitis in Niger Republic amidst COVID-19: current issues and novel recommendations

Oduoye,

Akanbi-Hakeem,

Muzammil

et al. 2023

Annals of Medicine &Amp; Surgery

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Amidst COVID-19, there has been a misplaced priority for meningitis in the Niger Republic, thus refocusing resources and attention away from the continuing meningitis campaign in the Niger Republic. The overstretched state of public health resources and staff has also led to decreased surveillance, postponed diagnoses, and constrained immunization efforts in the Niger Republic. This review aims to bridge the gaps about meningitis amid COVID-19 in the Niger Republic and proffer recommendations for the Niger government to mitigate meningitis in the country with the hope of finding an everlasting solution to this debilitating disease. We reviewed 45 past and present pieces of literature on meningitis and COVID-19 from 2013 to 2023 in well-renowned scientific databases such as PubMed, Researchgate, Google Scholar, African Online Journal, Medline, and Embase. Since 2015, Niger Republic has seen multiple meningitis epidemics that have resulted in 20, 789 cases and 1369 deaths (case fatality rate (CFR) of 6.6%). 231 cases of meningitis were reported from November 1st, 2021, to January 31st, 2022. And recently, 559 cases of meningitis (of which 111 are laboratory confirmed), including 18 deaths (overall CFR 3.2%), from the Zinder region, southeast of Niger Republic, from the 1st of November 2022 to the 27th of January 2023. Meningitis remains a public health concern in the world, especially in the Niger Republic, which could lead to serious long-term complications. Therefore, adequate and novel measures and therapeutic actions should be implemented by the Niger government to lessen the burden of the disease in the country.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meningitis in Niger Republic amidst COVID-19: current issues and novel recommendations

Oduoye,

Akanbi-Hakeem,

Muzammil

et al. 2023

Annals of Medicine &Amp; Surgery

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“…The introduction of a new health crisis, such as the Ebola outbreak, in the midst of an ongoing immunization program has likely diverted attention and resources from the EPI program. The country has also faced several outbreaks of cholera, meningitis, yellow fever, poliomyelitis, and measles [43]. These competing priorities have made it difficult to allocate resources and attention to the COVID-19 response: This is because the same actors and infrastructures are often used to respond to both crises, which can lead to a strain on already limited resources.…”

Section: Comparison With Vaccination Progress In Neighboring Countriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Struggle to Vaccinate: Unveiling the Reality of the first year of Covid-19 Vaccination in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Adidja,

Aimé,

Lungoyo Luhata

et al. 2024

Preprint

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IntroductionThe emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic has affected countries worldwide, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The DRC has experienced four waves of COVID-19, each associated with a new variant of the virus. To control the spread of the virus, the government of the DRC implemented various measures, including vaccination. The country developed a COVID-19 vaccine deployment plan, targeting high-risk groups, and launched a vaccination campaign in April 2021. This study aims to comprehensively assess the COVID-19 vaccination program in the DRC during its first year of implementation, including progress, coverage, types of vaccines administered, and a comparison with other neighboring countries.MethodsThis study was an analysis of the COVID-19 vaccination data during its first year of implementation in DRC. Data were collected from multiple sources, including the Ministry of Health and the WHO, and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study received clearance and used de-identified and aggregated data.ResultsOut of the 26 provinces in the country, only 15 began immunization activities with varying levels of coverage, ranging from 0.02% to 6.91%. The number of functional vaccination sites remained patchy across the country. By March 2022, 5.7% of the population had received at least one vaccine dose, with 1.03% fully vaccinated. In most provinces, men were more compliant with vaccination than women. More than half of the vaccinated individuals preferred the Janssen vaccine. Compared to neighboring countries, the DRC has lagged behind in its vaccination efforts, having administered only 1.1 million of doses received (8%) and has vaccinated only 2% of its population with at least one dose, the lowest among the countries analyzed.ConclusionDespite the challenges faced in the first year of the COVID-19 vaccination, DRC has made significant progress in vaccinating its population. The slow progress highlights the need for continued investment in health systems. These insights can inform future Covid-19 vaccination campaigns in DRC and other low-income countries.

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“…The persistence of telecommunication network coverage gaps, especially in remote, hard-to-reach, and epidemic-prone areas, limits the timely sharing of surveillance data and information for early warning and emergency response. For example, during the 2021 meningitis outbreak in Tshopo, a neighboring province, unstable telecommunication network coverage, and inadequate diagnostic capacity were among the main challenges cited for surveillance and emergency response (21).…”

Section: Infrastructure and Equipmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the integrated disease surveillance and response system implementation in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, following a major Ebola outbreak, 2021

Kallay

Mbuyi

Eggers

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Background The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) experienced its largest Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in 2018-2020. As a result of the outbreak, significant funding and international support were provided to Eastern DRC to improve disease surveillance. The Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) strategy has been used in the DRC as a framework to strengthen public health surveillance, and full implementation could be critical as the DRC continues to face threats of various epidemic-prone diseases. In 2021, the DRC initiated an IDSR assessment in North Kivu province to assess the capabilities of the public health system to detect and respond to new public health threats. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. Performance in IDSR core functions was assessed at multiple levels of the tiered health system through observations, key informant interviews, and analysis of health data. Qualitative data were also collected through focus groups and open-ended questions to guide the interpretation of the findings. Data were collected at the North Kivu provincial public health office, five health zones, 66 healthcare facilities, and from community health workers in 15 health areas. Results Data completeness was 100% at the provincial and health zone levels, and timeliness was 100% and 97% at the provincial and health zone levels, respectively. Healthcare facility data had an average completeness of 86%, and timeliness varied between health zones from 41 to 100%. The use of electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response is not widely implemented. Data analyses are conducted mainly at the provincial and health zone levels, and are regularly disseminated to all levels. Preparedness capabilities were low, with 44% of health zones in North Kivu having a preparedness and response plan and 41% having a functional rapid response team. Conclusion Comparing the results of this assessment to the last IDSR assessment conducted in DRC in 2016, slight improvements in disease reporting have been made, despite several limitations in materials, equipment, infrastructure, and workforce training. This assessment highlights the need to move from outbreak-focused support and funding to building systems that can improve the long-term functionality of the routine disease surveillance system.

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Meningitis during COVID -19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A call for concern

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

Meningitis in Niger Republic amidst COVID-19: current issues and novel recommendations

Meningitis in Niger Republic amidst COVID-19: current issues and novel recommendations

The Struggle to Vaccinate: Unveiling the Reality of the first year of Covid-19 Vaccination in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Assessment of the integrated disease surveillance and response system implementation in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, following a major Ebola outbreak, 2021

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