WORLD MENINGITIS DAY 2015
ALL YEARS OF WMD
World Meningitis Day 2015
World Meningitis Day is held every year on 24th April to raise awareness of meningitis, provide support for those living with the after-effects of the potentially devastating disease and to highlight the importance of vaccinations.
in 2015, the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO), along with its 43 members across 28 countries united to celebrate the 7th anniversary of World Meningitis Day. Each year we try to highlight a particular aspect of the disease and this year our key message was the indiscriminate nature of meningitis. The disease is often considered to be one that affects mainly infants; whilst half the cases do indeed affect children under five, the other half affects young adults, adolescents and the elderly.
Take a look at how our members celebrated World Meningitis Day across the globe!
World Meningitis Day gets parliament’s attention in the Americas
World Meningitis Day was celebrated with a range of activities in Canada, Brazil, and all across the USA.
Members in the Asia Pacific take to the streets to raise awareness for World Meningitis Day
Members danced, tweeted and petitioned their way to a fantastic World Meningitis Day, along with a range of other activities in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and Japan.
Members in the Europe Africa region dress up for World Meningitis Day
A whole variety of activities were led by our members in Spain, Poland and the UK, to name but a few!
Joining Hands Against Meningitis
World Meningitis Day may be over for another year but it is still vital that we stay united against meningitis. This disease is present all year round and we will continue to work to prevent it because we can and we should. To do this we need your help.
We encourage you to join hands against meningitis and register your support by signing our petition to show governments worldwide that meningitis vaccines should be on all National Immunisation Programmes.
Together we can prevent meningitis and put a stop to its devastating consequences.
Stay informed, up to date and contribute to the many discussions
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with the latest information on meningitis, CoMO and our members.
Follow us on Pinterest to understand how meningitis has affected the lives of our members across the world with their personal stories. You can even pin these touching stories to your own boards.
Find us on YouTube to find out more information about meningitis, the signs and symptoms and the personal stories of those that have been affected by this disease.
World Meningitis Day - 24 April 2015
Every year more than 1.2 million people suffer meningitis!
On Friday 24 April 2015, the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) will unite with our 43 member organisations in 28 countries worldwide to celebrate our seventh World Meningitis Day (WMD).
Held every year on 24 April, WMD is recognised to raise the global profile of meningitis, emphasise the importance of vaccination, and provide support to those dealing with the consequences of the disease.
Meningitis is a disease that can affect anyone, anywhere and at any time! It does not discriminate against age, gender or where we live in the world. You may think of meningitis as something that affects infants or university students. You are right, but meningitis can also affect young children, adults and the elderly. Meningitis can affect your babies, your friends, your parents or grandparents – it does not discriminate!
This year, together with our members, we want to share information about meningitis and promote the important role of vaccinations in preventing the most deadly and most devastating forms of the disease. We are making progress in ensuring access to available vaccines, but more can be done. More tragedy can be prevented and more lives can be saved.
Join us in our global fight to prevent meningitis worldwide because we can and we should! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates on our WMD activities, to share meningitis facts, read personal meningitis stories, share your story and contribute to the discussions. Help us make meningitis a disease people know about and know it can be prevented with vaccines. Together we can help prevent this disease.
Know the facts about meningitis
Every year more than 1.2 million people are affected by meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is the most severe and common form and it causes approximately 120,000 deaths globally each year.
Even with prompt diagnosis and treatment, approximately 1 in 10 patients die and up to 1 in 5 sustain permanent damage and disability. What’s scary about this disease is that the signs and symptoms are similar to those of the common flu. These include, but are not limited to, fever, vomiting, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and drowsiness. They can appear in any order and some may not appear at all. Those surviving meningitis can have their lives devastated as a result of long-term effects such as deafness, brain damage and when septicaemia is involved, the loss of limbs.
Find out more about meningitis including those at greater risk of contracting the disease and the different types of meningitis on our Facts About Meningitis page.
This can be prevented!
The most severe forms of meningitis can be prevented with vaccines. For many years now safe and effective vaccines have been used to protect against the three major causes of bacterial meningitis, commonly known as meningococcal, pneumococcal or Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
The Hib vaccine has been widely available for many years and this has caused Hib meningitis to be close to elimination. Sadly, this isn’t the case for the other causes of bacterial meningitis leaving all of us, and particularly children under the age of five and adolescents, at risk of contracting the disease.
What many people also don’t know is that introducing the pneumococcal, meningococcal and/or Hib vaccines not only help prevent meningitis but a variety of other diseases including pneumonia, otitis media (middle ear infection), septicaemia and epiglottitis.
Together with your support we want individuals, families, communities and governments worldwide to know of meningitis and take action to prevent it!
You can help raise awareness of meningitis and the vaccines available to prevent it by doing the following:
Tell governments worldwide they must make meningitis prevention a priority and available to all
Every year more than 1.2 million people are affected by meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is the most severe and common form and it causes approximately 120,000 deaths globally each year.
We want to prevent meningitis worldwide because we can and we should! But we need your help.
Vaccines exist to prevent against the most dangerous forms of meningitis but unfortunately the ability to access these lifesaving vaccines differs from one country to the next. For families in some countries it’s free, others have to pay and in some countries the vaccine isn’t even available.
We want to see this change. Families and people of all ages worldwide should have access to these lifesaving vaccines for free in their country.
To make sure meningitis prevention is considered a priority and communities worldwide have access to these vaccines, register your support for governments worldwide to make meningitis preventing vaccines available in their country for free to their citizens.
Register your support by Joining Hands Against Meningitis through our online petition.
Meningitis - A Global Issue. Are you vaccinated?
We know that meningitis has the power to cause death or disability in hours! In this powerful video, representatives from six of our member organisations share their personal meningitis experiences.
Families around the world need to be aware of meningitis and need to know that some of the most serious types can be prevented through vaccination.
Help us share this video with as many people as possible by sharing through Facebook, Twitter or sending a friend or family an email with a link. Let's work together to prevent meningitis.
Keep up to date with the latest on World Meningitis Day 2015
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates on World Meningitis Day activities across the globe, to share meningitis facts, read personal meningitis stories, share your story and contribute to the discussions. Use hashtags #meningitis and #joinhands to join the Twitter conversations.
We are also on YouTube and here you can find out more information about meningitis, the signs and symptoms and the personal stories of those that have been affected by this disease.
World Meningitis Day Posters and Web Banners
Help us spread awareness of meningitis and the vaccines available to prevent it and help us build support for meningitis prevention to be considered a priority by downloading and displaying World Meningitis Day (WMD) Posters around your community or promoting WMD on your website with one of our web banners.
Simply download the necessary files below and help raise awareness of meningitis this WMD.
A1, A3 or A4 Posters