SAHARA

After wreaking
havoc in Nigeria, spinal
meningitis has spread to a
dozen other countries close
to the Sahara, from Mali and
Burkina Faso in the west to
Sudan in the east. According
to the World Health
Organization, at least 6,000
people have died in recent
weeks and more than 300
million Africans are at risk.
Most of the victims are
children under 15. Nigeria has borne the brunt of the
epidemic, with the disease
claiming.the lives of 100 children a day. Mass vaccinations carried out in the
northern state of Kano where
the outbreak is believed to
have bro ken out, has had little effect. The toll has risen to
above 4,000 in the country
since January. However, the
actual death toll may be
higher than the official figures because of poor data
collection and lack of information about what is happening in isolated villages.
Experts predicted that the
epidemic will claim more
lives until it stops naturally
when the rains come.