The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) has approved US$6.2 million to fight meningitis in Niger and Nigeria - the two most heavily affected countries in West Africa with at least 28&ndsp;000 suspected cases so far in 2009, according to ECHO. The emergency funding was approved after ECHO's $2.5 million for infectious disease control in the region in 2009 ran out.
West Africa has had more than 1 800 meningitis deaths in 2009 as of 4 April, with some 32 000 infections, according to ECHO.
