Climate and Meningitis in Africa

The products in this maproom aim to illustrate models of climate suitability for seasonal epidemic meningitis.

Meningitis effects up to 200,000 people a year the African 'Meningitis Belt'. This region, stretching latitudinal across the Sahel region from Senegal to Ethiopia, faces recurring epidemics during the dry season of February to May. In addition, rainfall during subsequent months seems to alleviate the epidemic, reinforcing the suspected link between meningitis and environmental factors.

Different variables combine to cause epidemics of disease. Among these factors are the characteristics of the infecting organism, the resistance of the host and climatic conditions.

Studies have suggested that dry weather, low humidity and the presence of dust play an important role in the temporal and spatial occurrence of the disease.