Standard operating procedures for surveillance of meningitis preparedness and response to epidemics in Africa
This second edition of the WHO-AFRO Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Surveillance of Meningitis, Preparedness and Response to Meningitis Epidemics in Africa has incorporated the SOPs for Enhanced and Case-based Surveillance (both versions dated January 2017).
All countries in the African meningitis belt undertake enhanced surveillance (ES) for meningitis. Following the introduction in 2010 of MenAfriVac®, a serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine, some countries or parts of countries (for example Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Chad) have also introduced Case-based surveillance (CBS). The principal aim of ES is to strengthen outbreak detection across the meningitis belt to initiate a rapid response to meningitis epidemics. The principal aim of CBS is to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of new vaccines against bacterial meningitis. Both monitor the epidemiology of meningitis due to meningococcal serogroups and other bacterial pathogens.