IRC and partners combat meningitis epidemic in Chad

An IRC health worker prepares to give a meningitis inoculation to a refugee from Darfur in the Bredjing camp. The camp is located in a remote area of eastern Chad, about 70km from the Sudanese border. (Photo: IRC) 

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), its United Nations partners and the government of Chad launched a massive four-day campaign earlier this month aimed at giving meningitis inoculations to 33,000 refugees from Darfur in the Bredjing camp and 7,000 residents of nearby villages.  Earlier, 35 people in the camp had been stricken, two fatally. 

The government of Chad had declared an epidemic after more than 900 people nationwide fell ill with meningitis and 57 of them died. Felix Leger, the IRC’s country director, said 80 members of his staff took part in the successful vaccination campaign. 

Gamar Yacoub Oumar, a refugee who lives in the camp, had her family inoculated after learning about the outbreak and the campaign from IRC community health workers.

“It is better to be vaccinated than to have to be cured,” Oumar said.