Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in collaboration with health authorities and partner organizations, played a pivotal role in curbing a deadly meningitis outbreak in Kebbi and Sokoto states, northwestern Nigeria.
The outbreak, which began in early February 2025, saw hundreds of residents, including women and children, suddenly fall ill with symptoms ranging from convulsions to loss of consciousness. Initially mistaken for malaria, the illness was soon confirmed to be bacterial meningitis, a life-threatening disease that spreads rapidly and demands urgent medical care.
“I woke up one morning with pain in the neck, stiffness in one leg, and back pain,” said 26-year-old Aisha Faruq, one of the patients treated at the MSF-supported General Hospital in Gwandu, Kebbi State. “I lost consciousness at school and only woke up in the hospital.”
In response, MSF deployed medical teams and supplies, expanded bed capacity in hospitals, trained local health staff, and launched community awareness campaigns. In just 12 days, over 500 patients were admitted in three Kebbi LGAs: Gwandu, Jega, and Aliero. Over nine weeks, more than 2,000 patients were treated in MSF-supported facilities in the state. In neighbouring Sokoto, MSF treated 880 patients and provided support across seven health facilities.
Meningitis remains a major public health threat in Africa’s “meningitis belt”—stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia. Left untreated, the disease has a 50–80% fatality rate, and survivors often suffer long-term complications such as hearing loss, seizures, and brain damage.
MSF’s emergency coordinator in Kebbi, Dr. Sham’un Abubakar, noted the urgency of both treatment and prevention.
“We were forced to place mattresses on the floor as bed space ran out. But just as important as treatment is stopping the spread. That’s why we supported a mass vaccination effort.”
In collaboration with UNICEF, WHO, and the Kebbi State Ministry of Health, MSF supported a vaccination campaign that immunized nearly 500,000 people in just one week, two-thirds of them under the age of 15.
Nationwide, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded over 4,000 meningitis cases between February and May, with 70% of those treated in MSF-supported facilities in Kebbi and Sokoto.
Today, thanks to the joint efforts of MSF and its partners, the number of cases is in decline, and the emergency phase of the response is winding down. MSF teams are now transitioning back to routine medical care, continuing to support local health authorities with training, supplies, and strategic guidance.
