1. MenAfriNet: A Network Supporting Case-Based Meningitis Surveillance and Vaccine Evaluation in the Meningitis Belt of Africa.
- Author
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Patel JC, Soeters HM, Diallo AO, Bicaba BW, Kadadé G, Dembélé AY, Acyl MA, Nikiema C, Lingani C, Hatcher C, Acosta AM, Thomas JD, Diomande F, Martin S, Clark TA, Mihigo R, Hajjeh RA, Zilber CH, Aké F, Mbaeyi SA, Wang X, Moisi JC, Ronveaux O, Mwenda JM, and Novak RT
- Subjects
- Africa epidemiology, Geography, Medical, Humans, Immunization Programs, Meningococcal Vaccines administration & dosage, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Population Surveillance, Medical Informatics methods, Meningitis, Meningococcal immunology, Meningitis, Meningococcal prevention & control, Meningococcal Vaccines immunology, Neisseria meningitidis immunology
- Abstract
Meningococcal meningitis remains a significant public health threat, especially in the African meningitis belt where Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A historically caused large-scale epidemics. With the rollout of a novel meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccine (MACV) in the belt, the World Health Organization recommended case-based meningitis surveillance to monitor MACV impact and meningitis epidemiology. In 2014, the MenAfriNet consortium was established to support strategic implementation of case-based meningitis surveillance in 5 key countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, and Togo. MenAfriNet aimed to develop a high-quality surveillance network using standardized laboratory and data collection protocols, develop sustainable systems for data management and analysis to monitor MACV impact, and leverage the surveillance platform to perform special studies. We describe the MenAfriNet consortium, its history, strategy, implementation, accomplishments, and challenges., (Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2019. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.)
- Published
- 2019
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