THE PREVALENCE OF CEREBROSPINAL MENINGITIS
CHAPITRE ONE
INTRODUCTION
The Study’s Context
In many parts of the world, Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) is a major public health issue. Cerebrospinal Meningitis is one of the first Epidemic Prone Diseases in Gombe State, as well as one of the first priority diseases, conditions, and events on the revised list of Nigeria Integrated Disease Surveillance Response (IDSR). Cerebro-spinal Meningitis (CSM) is a disease of public health significance because of the synergy between patients and the case fatality rate that occurs. The worst CSM epidemics in Nigeria occurred in 1996, with approximately 109,580 cases and 11,717 deaths documented, followed by one in 2003, with 4,130 cases and 401 deaths recorded, and one in 2008, with 9,086 cases and 562 deaths recorded (WHO, 2010).
The current outbreak of Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Nigeria remains a public health concern. Cases of CSM were first reported in Zamfara State in 2016 and have since spread to sixteen (16) states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). So far, ninety (90) LGAs in sixteen (16) states have been affected, including Zamfara, Kastina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Nassarawo, Jigawa, FCT, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe, Kano, Osun, Cross Rivers, Lagos, and Plateau. As of Friday, March 31, 2017 (FMOH), the total number of people infected throughout these states was 2524, with 328 deaths (case fatality rate). These signs reveal that Nigeria is frequently experiencing an outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), which has expanded across the country and is mostly affecting states in the country’s upper regions, which are part of the African Meningitis Belt. Other countries experiencing similar outbreaks include our West African neighbors Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Togo, and Burkina Faso (WHO, 2010).
Lapey (2010) was able to provide the definitive study on CSM in West Africa during the first half of the twentieth century thanks to an exhaustive survey of published and unpublished records gathered through personal visits to hospitals and Ministries of Health across West Africa. He detailed the epidemiological features of CSM in Africa and drew attention to the fact that the virus only behaves in a limited area of Africa in such a distinctive and uncommon manner. As a result, he established the ”African meningitis belt,” which is limited to the north by the Sahara and to the south by tropical rain forest. Various mining activities contribute to disease spread. Surface mining activities in and surrounding textile areas pollute the air with a lot of dust, causing upper respiratory tract diseases. Second, the discharge of mining waste in waterways, such as cyanide, exposes the residents to the risk of meningitis (Lapey, 2010).
Statement of the Issue
Meningitis infection affects the thin lining that covers the brain and spinal cord. Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis infection is transferred mostly through contact with an infected person, typically through sneezing, coughing, and nose secretions, and is more prevalent in congested environments. Perhaps indicators show that Nigeria is repeatedly experiencing an outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) that has spread across the country, primarily affecting States in the country’s upper parts that fall within the African Meningitis Belt, which includes Gombe State (see map in appendix….. and graphic illustration in appendix…). Meningococcal meningitis continues to be associated with a high death rate and long-term neurological abnormalities, especially in newborns and young children. To prevent infection, minimize overcrowding, sleep in well-ventilated rooms, and avoid close and prolonged contact with infected people. As a result, the study aims to assess the prevalence of cerebrospinal meningitis infections, which occur on a yearly basis in Gombe Local Government Area, Gombe State.
The Goal of the Research
The goal of this research is to determine the prevalence of Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State. It specifically aims to:
(i) Research the epidemiology of Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the Gombe Local Government Area.
Area of Government.
(ii) Identify the risk factors for Cerebrospinal Meningitis.
Gombe Local Government Area is located in Gombe State.
(iii) Determine the strategies that could be used to address the problem.
Cerebrospinal Meningitis has been reported in the Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The Importance of the Research
The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors, epidemiological strength, and to assess and recommend the best intervention and preventative methods to reduce the incidence of cerebrospinal meningitis infections in Gombe Local Government Area, Gombe State. Furthermore, the findings of this study, as well as the appropriate recommendations, will be of great assistance to health institutions, concerned authorities, and/or the country at large in reducing morbidity and mortality through new intervention programs, updating treatment protocols for proper management, follow-up, and care of all patients with Cerebrospinal Meningitis and its complications. It should be utilized to develop policy and raise public awareness about Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the research area. The outcomes of this study may also serve to improve people’s welfare, as people recover from illness and are able to earn a living and improve their lot.
Research Issues
(i) What is the epidemiology of Cerebrospinal Meningitis in the Gombe Local Government Area?
Area of Government?
(ii) What are the risk factors for Cerebrospinal Meningitis?
Gombe Local Government Area, State of Gombe?
(iii) What strategies could be used to address the Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) problem?
Gombe Local Government Area, Gombe State: Meningitis?
The Study’s Scope
The prevalence of Cerebrospinal Meningitis in Gombe Local Government Area, Gombe State, is the focus of this study. It would concentrate on the causes and effects of Cerebrospinal Meningitis, and it is envisaged that preventive strategies to alleviate the symptoms of Cerebrospinal Meningitis would have been discovered throughout the course of this study.
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