16 May 2016
One of our members, FIMM (Fundación Irene Megías contra la Meningitis) in Spain has recently been replaced by AEM (Asociación Española Contra La Meningitis). For further information, please read AEM’s press release below:
The fight against meningitis in Spain continues. The AEM was registered as a non-profit association in March 2016, set up to continue the work started in 2006 by FIMM to support people affected by the disease.
FIMM was launched after the death of 17 year old, Irene Megías, who died 24 hours after contracting meningococcal septicaemia. FIMM has received the support of dedicated volunteers, many of whom have family members who have been affected by meningitis.
Due to financial difficulties, FIMM was forced to close on March 31st 2016. The continued support of FIMM’s volunteers enabled it to grow and allowed for the creation of a new association, AEM, as its successor. FIMM’s outstanding accomplishments over the last 10 years have allowed for the easy transition of AEM to become the new voice for meningitis patients in Spain. The support of the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations has also enabled the organisation to expand its support to patients beyond Spain, further into Europe.
Amongst FIMM’s many achievements, their support enabled Spain to gain the authorisation to sell a vaccine against Meningococcal serotype B in pharmacies.
The AEM will be supervised by the Scientific Committee formed at FIMM, which will be led by Dr F. Martinón-Torres (MD, PhD, Assoc Prof, Hospital Santiago de Compostela) and Dr Juan Ruiz-Canela, member of AEPAP (Asociación Española de Pediatria de Atención Primaria). This continued support is fundamental in order to effectively work towards a meningitis-free world.
At AEM, we promote vaccination as the best form of protection against the bacteria that cause meningitis and septicaemia. We will continue to organise awareness campaigns about the symptoms, the causes and the treatments for this disease, whilst continuously providing support for affected families.
We want to welcome support from everyone involved in the fight against meningitis, including any previous supporters of FIMM. There are a number of projects being planned this year in order to raise awareness of the disease, therefore any support is much appreciated.
Many thanks!
Santiago García, President
garciablancos@gmail.com
Elena Moya, Vice President elena.moya@comomeningitis.org