B Hlongwa on meningitis concerns

11 March 2009

At a mental health awareness event taking place in Sedibeng today, the MEC
of Health in Gauteng, Brian Hlongwa made a call to members of communities and
community leaders to focus on the facts about meningitis and not allow
misinformation to dictate their responses.

“The health of our children is a highly emotive issue for each one of us and
any suggestions that it is threatened is bound to cause panic and concern. We
therefore understand the manner in which parents have reacted following recent
false reports about the real situation on the ground. But that said, we have to
work together in ensuring that we get the facts for what they are so that we
are sure we make the right choices,” said the MEC.

MEC Hlongwa emphasised that years of experience has enabled the development
of an effective system that ensures that there is a speedy response to any case
of meningitis “whenever there is a case of meningitis, through established
channels of communication between my department and hospitals, we have been
able to ensure an effective response within a period of 24 hours. It is by no
accident that we generally have such high recovery rates.”

Residents in Eldorado Park have been on high alert following incorrect
reports that their community has been exposed to a meningitis outbreak. Two
children from Mondeor and Soweto died in recent weeks and there are currently
no confirmed cases of meningitis in Eldorado Park. The reported cases are
unrelated and therefore do not present any cause for alarm.

The Department of Health has joined hands with Johannesburg municipality
health workers as well as the Gauteng Education Department on a campaign to
educate residents about meningitis and calm fears of an outbreak.

“As a concerned parent I can confirm today that we do not have an outbreak
of meningitis in Gauteng. Throughout these years meningitis has been sporadic
and this continues to this day,” said MEC Hlongwa “for a number of years now we
have been responding effectively to the illness of meningitis. Our approach is
informed by years of international exposure to how we can best contain this
illness.”

For more information contact:
JP Louw
Cell: 082 737 7227

Phumelele Kaunda
Tell: 011 355 3268
Cell: 082 334 9851
E-mail: phumelele.kaunda@gauteng.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Health, Gauteng Provincial Government
11 March 2009