Meningitis claims 16 lives in Ethiopia

Ethiopian Vice Minister of Health Ministry Lamisso Hayisso has called on the nationals to be on full alert against an outbreak of meningitis which has claimed at least 16 lives since January in the Somali region of eastern Ethiopia, the Capital newspaper reported on Saturday.

The newspaper quoted Lamisso as saying that "there were meningitis in a few areas but these have been checked before the disease had gone out of hand."

It was reported that the Health Ministry has taken measures in preventing the spread of meningitis and provided the necessary vaccine and logistics support to regional state health centers in the fight against the disease.

Meanwhile, an official of Somali region said that the meningitis outbreak in the region was curtailed after killing 16 people.