CoMO members work all year round to raise awareness of meningitis and support those affected by it. But each 5th October, World Meningitis Day brings us together as a global movement and brings meningitis to international attention.
Members organised an incredible range of activities this year. Together, these represent a collective call for action – for better prevention, treatment and aftercare. CoMO stands united in the race to defeat this devastating disease.
Here are some of the highlights:
A unique meningitis documentary
Asociación Española contra la Meningitis (the Spanish Association Against Meningitis, AEM) created a documentary film about an outbreak in the Galicia region 50 years ago.
The film explains how Galicia went from one of the worst-hit regions of Western Europe to the region with the best vaccine programme in Spain. It coincides with the recent news that Galicia will invest nearly €3 million in MenB vaccines. AEM hope that this move, combined with the publicity around the film, will encourage other Spanish regions to improve their vaccine offering.
The creation of the documentary involved medical experts, local politicians and people directly affected. Many of these also attended the glamorous premiere held in the city of Vigo. You can watch the documentary (in Spanish) on the AEM Facebook page.
Left: AEM President Cristina Regojo speaking at the premiere. Right: an awards ceremony at the premiere.
Awareness-raising in children’s hospital
Meningitis Awareness Foundation (MAF) partnered with Kenya’s largest children's hospital to create a meningitis awareness week targeting both staff and patients.
Their keynote presentation was attended by over 150 hospital staff and nursing students. MAF co-founder Claytone Musungu explained the work of CoMO, while an expert from the Ghanaian Ministry of Health spoke about the importance of continuing professional development on subjects like meningitis. This guest speaker came through a collaboration with another CoMO member, Concern Health Education Project (Ghana).
Left: Claytone Musungu (right) with staff of the children's hospital, holding the Meningitis
Flag in front of an information desk and balloon arch. Right: Claytone delivering his presentation.
The first national plan to defeat meningitis in the Americas
The Brazilian government launched their national strategic plan for defeating meningitis and celebrated with an event on 3rd October. This was attended by World Health Organization (WHO) Americas representatives and various advocates.
It was very special to see Associação Brasileira de Combate à Meningite (the Brazilian Association for the Fight against Meningitis) at the event. Their President, Suelen Caroline Rosalino, delivered a powerful speech about her family's experiences of meningitis.
This is the first national plan to be published in the region and a massive step forward for the implementation of WHO's Global Road Map.
Left: Suelen Caroline Rosalino speaking at the event. Right: Attendees of the national plan launch, including Suelen (third from right), holding the Meningitis Flag.
Launch of bilingual colouring book
The Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand were delighted to release the first bilingual English–Maori colouring book about meningitis. It is designed to provide essential information for children and parents and encourage vaccination to protect young people.
The book was produced in partnership with a New Zealand health provider, who will help distribute it to people engaged with the company, allowing it to reach a wider audience.
The project was inspired by similar initiatives by CoMO members Meningitis Centre Australia and Meningitis Volunteers Association (Türkiye).
Live online broadcasts
Two groups of CoMO members in the Africa region teamed up to hold informative panel discussions online (in English and in French). They were joined by representatives of the World Health Organization (Africa) and spoke about how the disease can be defeated both nationally and internationally. They also responded live to questions from the Facebook audience.
The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination also held a live panel discussion on Facebook for the second year running. As well as providing life-saving information, they shared the stories of people affected by the disease.
And Menenjit Gönüllüleri Dernegi (Meningitis Volunteers Association), Türkiye, interviewed a paediatrician live on Instagram. The discussion emphasised the key role of vaccination, the impact of meningitis on children and the importance of early detection.
Our three World Meningitis Day campaign actions
Many members also participated in one of our shared global actions:
38 members shared images from our free toolkit online to help us spread life-saving awareness. A special mention goes to Children Advocacy Forum (Sierra Leone), who reached around 3,000 people through WhatsApp groups.
Several members shared their personal experiences of meningitis on Meningitis in your words, including Tendai David Muranganwa (Zimbabwe), Charity Githuka (Kenya) and Laprice Franklin (The Latisha Marie Foundation, USA). Christine Bennborn (Meningokockfonden, Sweden) shared her story page online and spoke movingly about the strength needed to make such a terrible experience public.
32 members participated in Light the road ahead, many of them sharing deeply personal tributes with photos of candles and lights. Plus, members in Australia, the USA, Spain, New Zealand, Canada, Nigeria, Japan, Brazil and Costa Rica lit up over 350 buildings between them.
Left: Eden Park Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand. Illumination organised by Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand. Right: Esplanade Riel Footbridge, Winnipeg, Canada. Illumination organised by Meningitis Foundation of Canada.
Additional member activity
It's impossible to fit in everything that CoMO members did for World Meningitis Day – but just to mention a few more:
Six innovative members’ projects supported by our 2024 Advocacy Fund. This was a pilot scheme launched this year to help members increase their reach and impact in the fight against meningitis. The projects ranged from training community health workers to an awareness-raising golf tournament. Read more here.
A special podcast by John B. Grimes (USA) featuring seven CoMO members’ stories.
A dedicated meningitis issue of medical journal Revue du Praticien, curated by Catherine Weil-Olivier (France).
Awareness adverts on Spotify across the USA and Canada.
Engagement stands at schools and universities in Ireland, France and Australia.
An interview with Sarah Joyce (Australia) about surviving meningitis and disability advocacy.
Members spoke about meningitis to staff and patients in the hospitals where they work, including Dr. Celine Osi in Nigeria and Isáis Cáceres in Venezuela.
Radio features in many countries, including Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Ghana.
A wide range of awareness videos in many different languages.
Feeling inspired?
Are you also passionate about raising awareness of meningitis and campaigning for better prevention and treatment? We welcome membership applications from non-profit organisations in relevant fields, people who have been affected by meningitis, and engaged healthcare professionals.
Our free toolkit of World Meningitis Day information and resources is available for use all year round. Access it, and find out more about the day, here.
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