Evaluation mission in Tashkent, 2021
Although the meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa is the most affected, meningitis is a global threat. Over the past decade, outbreaks of bacterial meningitis have occurred in the Central Asian region, highlighting the need for improved surveillance and prevention. Uzbekistan, the most populous country in Central Asia, recorded a sudden increase in the number of cases in early 2019. A mission to the country was conducted in November / December 2021 to understand surveillance capacities and procedures. National epidemiologists were met, and infectious disease hospitals and public health bacteriological laboratories were visited at national level.
A comprehensive report has been produced which outlines the findings of the visits and the analysis of the data collected, identifies gaps and suggests areas for improvement
The evaluation of the meningitis surveillance system in Uzbekistan takes place in the context of the implementation of the WHO roadmap “Defeating Meningitis by 2030“, the emergence of meningitis outbreaks in the region, the potential introduction of a meningococcal vaccine in the country, as well as WHO-led efforts to improve meningitis surveillance in the region.
