The organization Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) said that cases of deadly meningitis are rising in eastern Chad, where the disease is killing nearly 12% of the children who become infected in an area hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring Sudan.
In a statement, the organization also reported that measles is spreading in the border town of Adré, where a recent surge in arrivals has led to overcrowded camps, facilitating the spread of diseases.
The organization added that among 212 children admitted to its facilities with meningitis between March and April, 25 have died—an alarming fatality rate.
Isabelle Caillère, Medical Activities Manager for MSF in Adré, said: “We are seeing children with severe measles arriving every day, often worsened by pneumonia, requiring urgent hospitalization.”
She added: “At the same time, bed occupancy for meningitis patients is approaching 100%, exhausting our capacity and negatively affecting care for patients with other conditions.”
