There are many areas in Africa where people live in extreme poverty. Unfortunately, many people must also deal with deadly diseases. Nigerian people are currently fighting a battle against a disease called meningitis. Meningitis is an inflammatory disease. It is a deadly “infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.” (Busari) The purpose of this summary is to explain (in addition to the emerging issue) why a CNN article published on April 13, 2017 by Stephanie Busari was chosen. Secondly, it is important to explain why everyone should be very concerned about this issue.
PURPOSE FOR SELECTION
The author explained that since the new year arrived, Nigeria has reported thousands of cases in which people were diagnosed with meningitis. A new version of this bacterial disease (which has been named, Stereotype C) has claimed the lives of nearly 500 patients so far. The big problem with this article is that people are being given some form of a virus (vaccine) for a bacterial infection and there were insufficient supplies of the vaccine delivered. While the bad news is that more supplies are needed, the good news is that 20,000 vials of antibiotics have been delivered to aid the people being treated. Choosing this article to share raises awareness that more attention must be given to Nigeria and learning about this disease.

REASON FOR CONCERN
Since people can travel in and out of the continent, meningococcal bacteria do not have to remain limited to this region of the world. An epidemic can strike any global location. If experts are not able to bring a swift end to this epidemic in Nigeria, everyone should be concerned about the time frame during which this disease can spread. Furthermore, vaccinations alone might not be enough to halt the rapid spread of infection. If there are more than 4,000 cases and hundreds of deaths being met with inadequate supplies of treatments, the scenario would be synonymous to fixing some (but not all) coastal levies right before a hurricane.

CONCLUSION
Very little was explained about massive preventative efforts that should be in place. Meningococcal outbreaks are known to occur during specific annual periods and are also associated with overcrowding. (Busari) More powerful preventative measures should be high on the agenda for the Nigerian government and the World Health Organization (CDC). However, enough information addressing this was not provided in the article.