/ 6 May 1999

SUDAN MENINGITIS WORSENS

MENINGITIS has claimed at least 1467 lives in Sudan, with a total of 20119 cases reported since December, the Akhbar al Youm daily reported on Wednesday.Health Minister Mahdi Babu Nimir, speaking to a National Assembly committee here on Tuesday, said that no reports are being received from outlying regions and warned that the epidemic will soon exceed 100000 cases. He said 8,5 million people have been vaccinated and that another five million will receive the vaccine against meningitis, a highly infectious and often fatal disease of the brain and spinal cord.