The World Meningitis Day, celebrated on October 5th, is a unique moment in the year dedicated to uniting people across the world to fight against meningitis and help save lives. This global movement started in 2009 by a community of people affected by meningitis and is supported by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) and the Meningitis Research Foundation.
Meningitis is a deadly and debilitating infectious disease that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Meningitis affects people of all ages across the globe, but mainly young children. The disease causes an inflammation of the membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord (meninges), and the symptoms start quickly. Although meningitis can be caused by several microbes, bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous form of the disease. Most bacterial meningitis cases are caused by four pathogens: Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus), Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS). It is estimated that 1 in 6 people who get bacterial meningitis will die and 1 in 5 people who survive will have long-lasting disabilities like deafness, epilepsy, paralysis, and cognitive impairment. Populations with low socioeconomic status are more likely to die from meningitis or suffer from its long-lasting disabilities.
In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) together with partners launched a global roadmap to defeat meningitis as a public health threat - DEFEATING MENINGITIS BY 2030 - A GLOBAL ROAD MAP. The roadmap focuses on the four major agents of bacterial meningitis and is based on three visionary goals: to eliminate bacterial meningitis epidemics, reduce cases of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis by 50% and deaths by 70%, and reduce disability and improve the quality of life after meningitis due to any cause. These goals will be achieved by integrated actions organized in five pillars, which are prevention and epidemic control, diagnosis and treatment, disease surveillance, care and support, and advocacy and engagement. The global road map is already in course, and it is expected that the achievement of the visionary goals will avert 2,750,000 meningitis cases and 920 000 deaths by 2030. In addition, the global road map will have an impact on reducing the burden of other serious infectious diseases (pneumonia, sepsis), tackling antimicrobial resistance spread, and reducing health-care costs and social inequalities.
The WHO and its partners have taken the lead in the fight against meningitis, but civil society is also an important ally in this war. It is critical to raise awareness of meningitis and its health and socioeconomic impacts among the global population. The World Meningitis Day involves an active campaign via a dedicated website and social media to share people’s previous experience with meningitis and inform the population across the globe about how to prevent and defeat the disease. Everyone can take action in the campaign and help raise awareness of meningitis by either telling their own story, using the social media toolkit, contacting local politicians, or making a donation.
The path towards a world free of meningitis is challenging, but with united action from all sectors (global health organizations, private sector, governments, civil society, academia), we can achieve this ultimate goal and make a lasting impact on global health.
Written by ISID Emerging Leader Laura Oliveira