VANESSA VICK PHOTOGRAPHY

Immunization Arua

An outbreak of meningitis in northern Uganda has health officials scrambling to vaccinate people in the West Nile region of northern Uganda. Doctors Without Borders in coordination with the Ugandan Ministry of Health and the WHO have launched an immediate vaccination campaign in an effort to control the epidemic.

Agata Enzeru brings her granddaughter Adiru Monica to Cilio Health Center for treatment.
   
Meningitis is a contagious and potentially fatal infection of the brain, which if left untreated is fatal in 50% of patients.
   
Molly Sweeney a case management supervisor MSF visits health centers in Arua.
     
  
Residents are vaccinated in Dowonga, the mass immunization campaign targets people between two and 30 years of age.
   
Infected people often carry the disease without showing symptoms, and spread the bacteria to others when they cough or sneeze.
   
A total of 1,200,000 vaccinations were distributed in northwestern Uganda in a period of two months.
     
  
Kebir Club in Arua is one of the designated vaccination sites.
  
Vaccination is the most common method used to fight meningitis.
   
Meningitis occurs sporadically throughout the world, but the vast majority of cases and deaths happen in Africa.
     
  
At Omugo Health Center in Aura District Candiru Susan brings her grandson Dramile Thomas, 9, for treatment.
   
Setting up a large-scale meningitis vaccination program has enormous logistic implications, the vaccines must be procured from suppliers, the cold chain must be set up, and extra emergency field volunteers must be deployed.
   
The rate of compliance in Arua was high with residents in some areas waiting in long lines to be vaccinated.
     
  
At Arua Hospital Irena Sakaru attends to her son Tiboa Richard, 26, who is critically ill with meningitis. Unfortunately Tiboa did not respond to the medication and passed away later that day.
   
Meningitis epidemics regularly hit countries in the area referred to as the African meningitis belt, which stretches across the continent form Senegal to Ethiopia. The total population at risk in these countries is around 300 million.
   
One out of five survivors will suffer from neurological after-effects such as deafness or mental retardation.
     
  
Rose Ochogoru cares for her son Awuta Alfred who is critically ill with meningitis at Arua Hospital.
   
Over 100 lives were claimed during the meningitis epidemic and 3,000 cases recorded.
   
Health officials said many more people might have died in inaccessible rural areas in the impoverished and mostly restive northern region, since the outbreak was reported in the beginning of the year.