00:00Every dry season, a deadly pattern returns across northern Nigeria, meningitis.
00:06In 2025 alone, at least 150 people died, with nearly 2,000 suspected cases reported across more than 20 communities.
00:16As hot, dusty winds testify, so does the risk of transmission.
00:21For survivors, the impact goes far beyond the statistics.
00:24I spent about one month in the hospital receiving treatment.
00:36At a point, I wasn't talking.
00:39It affected my speech.
00:45I found it difficult to speak out.
00:48I could not talk.
00:50And when people talk, I will not hear.
00:53It affects my ears.
00:55It was a horrific experience.
00:59Meningitis causes the inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
01:02Its bacterial form is especially dangerous, killing roughly one in six people infected,
01:07and leaving many survivors with lasting complications.
01:10Nigeria sits inside Africa's so-called meningitis belt, according to the World Health Organization,
01:17a high-risk zone spanning 26 countries known for reoccurring outbreaks.
01:22Outbreaks of meningitis peak between December and April, when dry, dusty conditions increase transmission.
01:28In deathly populated communities like this one in Abuja,
01:32overcrowding, poor ventilation raise the risk, and limited vaccine coverage means the disease keeps returning.
01:38To curb the spread, Nigeria rolled out a new 5-in-1 meningitis vaccine in 2024, with support from partners
01:45like Gavi.
01:47Around one million doses have been deployed so far, targeting the most common strains driving outbreaks in high-risk states,
01:54especially among children.
01:56Early data shows fewer severe cases in areas with higher coverage, but health experts say the supply is nowhere near
02:03enough.
02:04Now, looking at the population of over 200 million people, and we are assuming that in those 11 states,
02:10if we take the priority population of 0 to 15 years, we are talking about 7 to 10 million people.
02:17We've only gotten a million vaccines.
02:19So we need about 10 million doses to at least cover the priority populations in those high-risk regions,
02:27and then we then start talking about the other people who also need to be protected.
02:34And vaccines alone won't stop meningitis for good.
02:37We need better surveillance systems.
02:40We need early treatment and rapid laboratory confirmation and testing.
02:44We also need good risk communication and community engagement.
02:49Authorities say efforts are underway to expand vaccination, improve surveillance, and strengthen the emergency response system in high-risk states.
02:58But for Nigerians like Pastor Ogiri Adoku, the threat remains painfully real.
03:04Until gaps in access, awareness, and prevention are closed, meningitis is likely to keep returning, year after year, with every
03:13dry season.
03:14M
03:14So
03:21the
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