Malawi Clinics

Hib bacterial meningitis, which used to kill 5,000 children under five every year in Uganda, has been virtually eliminated from the country five years after introduction of a vaccine. Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type B) is a common bacterial infection that inflames the lining of the brain and spine, causing a deadly form of meningitis and also pneumonia. Worldwide, it causes 400,000 deaths in under-5s every year and three million cases of severe illness, almost all in developing countries.

The Guardian‘s Katine Project blog has further commentary on this health success story for East Africa.