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\nDownload PDF version of Meningitis A Infographic
\n \nMenAfriVac\u00ae was developed by the Meningitis Vaccine Project, a partnership between PATH and WHO, in collaboration with Serum Institute of India, Ltd.
\nMeningitis A is deadly, expensive and preventable.
Meningitis A threatens the lives of 450 million people across 26 countries in Africa\u2019s \u201cMeningitis Belt,\u201d mostly children and young adults.
The sub-Saharan meningitis belt stretches from Senegal and the Gambia in the West to Ethiopia in the East.
Meningitis kills within hours.
Thousands die in years with large outbreaks.
1 in 10 die within 2 days even when antibiotics are available.
1 in 4 survivors are left with permanent disabilities such as paralysis, blindness, hearing loss, seizures, and intellectual disability.
Meningitis treatment is costly for both families and nations and contributes to the cycle of poverty.
Each case of meningitis in a family results in a sudden cost of about US$90 \u2013 what is about 3 or 4 months of the family\u2019s income.
The permanent disabilities caused by meningitis leave survivors less able to care for themselves and less likely to earn income.
The MenAfriVac\u00ae vaccine protects against meningitis A saving lives and money.
MenAfriVac\u00ae became available for use in Africa in 2010 priced at just US$0.40 per dose. Over 152 million people had received the vaccine by the end of 2013.
Prevention costs US$0.40 per person versus treatment costs US$90 per person.
The vaccine is targeted to protect 450 million people at risk from meningitis by 2016 and save nearly 150,000 lives.
MenAfriVac\u00ae is the first vaccine for use in Africa that can be transported and stored for as long as 4 days without refrigeration or even an ice pack. This saves money and allows for safe delivery to people in even the most remote areas.
The introduction of the vaccine is a giant step toward achieving the elimination of epidemic meningitis as a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa.