A survey by the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences at the Fiji National University has revealed that bacterial meningitis reduces the quality of life in young children.
The survey was conducted over a period of three years and reviewed a total of 70 children under the age of five suffering from meningitis.
The children were part of the research while admitted at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.
The research was carried out by the group to find out the origins, distribution patterns and the neurological consequence of the disease.
Delivered by Doctor Viema Biaukula of the Department of Public Health, the survey revealed that those suffering from the bacterial infection had a significantly low quality of life.
The study revealed that meningitis originated from the enterovirus which is also the cause of many other human and animal related diseases.
The infection is also caused by the a human bacterial pathogen called the Streptococcus pneumoniae (S.Pneumoniae).
According to Dr Biaukula, among the children who were surveyed, the infection was most common in iTaukei children.