In a groundbreaking move, Nigeria has become the first nation globally to introduce the Men5CV vaccine, a new 5-in-1 vaccine against meningitis, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). This historic development aims to safeguard individuals against five strains of Meningococcus bacteria, addressing a critical health challenge faced by the country.
The WHO, in its statement released on Friday, hailed Nigeria’s initiative as a monumental step in global health. Health workers are set to commence an immunization campaign with a target of reaching one million people, supported by funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Nigeria’s introduction of the Men5CV vaccine comes at a crucial time. The WHO has identified Nigeria as one of the 26 meningitis hyper-endemic countries in Africa, located within the African Meningitis Belt. Alarmingly, 2023 saw a 50% increase in reported annual meningitis cases across Africa.
The outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C in Nigeria between October 2023 and March 2024 resulted in 1,742 suspected cases, including 153 fatalities across seven states: Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe, and Zamfara. To combat this, a vaccination campaign was conducted from March 25-28, 2024, targeting individuals aged 1-29 years.
Meningitis is a severe infection causing inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Its symptoms, including headache, fever, and stiff neck, can escalate rapidly, leading to septicaemia or blood poisoning, which can be fatal within 24 hours.
Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, lauded Nigeria’s efforts, emphasizing the vaccine’s potential to revolutionize meningitis prevention. “This new vaccine brings us closer to our goal of eradicating meningitis by 2030,” he remarked. The Men5CV vaccine offers protection against the five major meningococcal bacteria strains, surpassing the coverage of the existing vaccine predominantly effective against the A strain.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, highlighted the devastating impact of the meningitis outbreak on Northern Nigeria, particularly in Jigawa, Bauchi, and Yobe states. He expressed gratitude for the support from community leaders and emphasized ongoing efforts to expand immunization coverage.
The development of the Men5CV vaccine, which took 13 years, was a collaborative effort between PATH and the Serum Institute of India, with critical financing from the UK government. WHO prequalified the Men5CV vaccine in July 2023, recommending its introduction in October 2023. Gavi allocated resources for its rollout in December 2023.
Andrew Mitchell, UK Minister for Development and Africa, stressed the importance of this initiative in achieving global health goals. “This vaccine will save lives and prevent long-term illness,” he stated.
WHO has been assisting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in managing the meningitis outbreak, providing support in disease surveillance, case finding, testing, and management.
Ms. Aurélia Nguyen, Chief Programme Officer at Gavi, emphasized the significance of innovative solutions like Men5CV in combating infectious diseases. Following Nigeria’s vaccine campaign, an international summit on meningitis is scheduled for April 2024 in Paris, aiming to accelerate progress towards eliminating meningitis by 2030.
