Niger Closes Schools to Try to Stop Spread of Meningitis

Niger's prime minister on Tuesday ordered all schools around the capital, Niamey, closed until Monday and called for children between 2 and 15 to be vaccinated against meningitis, a potentially fatal disease. More than 900 cases of the disease have been diagnosed since January, resulting in 85 deaths. Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said the country needed more than 1 million doses of meningitis vaccine but had only about half that many. He appealed to Niger's allies and the World...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - mardi 21 avril 2015