Project Title: Surveillance on Bacterial Meningitis and Disease Burden Estimation Georgia,

WHO; Project Duration: 15.04.2014 – 31.12.2014. 

 Project summary

a).Project Objectives:To establish sentinel site surveillance of Bacterial Meningitis among children less than 5 years of age with an emphasis on Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) and neiseria meningitidis (Nm).

This surveillance system aims to: 

•           Provide quality data necessary for studying the burden of disease caused by each of these organisms. These data will be most important in supporting the sustainability of decisions for vaccines for Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), Streptococcus pneumoniae (Sp) and Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) . These data will also assist with post introduction immunization program monitoring

•           Provide quality data to guide clinical management and detect and monitor antimicrobial susceptibility patterns;

•           Build national capacity for long-term laboratory-based surveillance for communicable diseases.

This surveillance network will focus on:

o          diseases/syndrome: bacterial meningitis

o          age group: children less than 5 years

o          Organisms: Haemophilus influenzae type b, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis

b).Project Activities:

•           On 28.06-3.07.2008 assessment of surveillance system on Bacterial Meningitis was conducted by WHO experts.

•           M. Iashvili children’s central clinic was selected as a sentinel site and Lugar as a referense laboratory for final confirmation by experts;

•           Additional training for sentinel site staff was conducted by WHO experts;

•           WHO Euro provides reagents, supplies and additional expenses for the project;

•           Children >5 years of age, with suspected bacterial meningitis are included in the project according to case definition

c).Expected results:

High quality data on etiological factors causing Bacterial meningitis in children >5 years of age.