Request for an extension of timeframe of one month (new end date: 31 July 2015) to enable the completion of activities planned in the EPoA related to the prevention and control of meningitis, specifically awareness raising/sensitization in coordination with the Ministry of Health mass vaccination campaign, which has been delayed. In addition, the extension of timeframe will also enable the completion of a lessons learned workshop.
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
Niger is a West African country located in the heart of the African meningitis belt, which stretches from Senegal to Djibouti. The hot and dry climate is favourable to the outbreak of meningitis epidemics generally between November and May. In April 2015, following an escalation in meningitis cases (from December 2014), an epidemic was officially declared by the Ministry of Public Health. In parallel, a measles epidemic was also confirmed in regions in the north of the country, with Agadez, Maradi and Zinder worst affected. On 2 May 2015, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) released CHF 100,428 from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Red Cross Society of Niger (NRCS) respond to the needs of the affected population. The DREF operation was intended to support 210,000 people (30,000 households) in Dosso and Niamey (meningitis response), and Agadez and Zinder (measles response), over a period of six weeks. On 29 May 2015, an Operations Update was issued to extend the timeframe by two weeks; and an additional allocation of CHF 102,770 to expand the activities planned into eight additional districts (10 in total: (Doutchi, Fillingué Gaya, Kollo, Ouallam Niamey I, II III, IV, and V) with awareness raising/sensitization campaigns. Following the stabilization of the measles epidemic, activities planned in Agadez and Zinder were cancelled. As of 11 June 2015 the number of suspected meningitis cases reached 8,341, including 557 deaths. Initially limited to districts in the Niamey (Niamey I, Niamey II, Niamey III) and Dosso regions, (Doutchi, Gaya) the epidemic spread to other regions and districts of the country including Dosso town, Fillingué, Illela, Kollo, Ouallam, and Terra.
