Meningococcal disease | Disease burden

Disease burden

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Meningococcal disease occurs in small clusters with seasonal variation and accounts for a variable proportion of epidemic bacterial meningitis. The majority of the cases occur in sub-Saharan African countries in what is called “the African meningitis belt”. South Sudan and Sudan are the only countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region that lie within this belt. However, other countries, specially those neighbouring the belt are also reporting meningococcal disease.