World Meningitis Day: the world’s largest day of collective action on meningitis co-ordinated by Meningitis Research Foundation. In 2024, people in 135 countries took action on World Meningitis Day to raise life-saving awareness of the disease which can kill within 24 hours.
Making an impact on World Meningitis Day: a global awareness raising moment
On the 5th October every year, people from all over the world come together for a global day of action, raising awareness of the impact of meningitis and the investment and political support needed to defeat it.
What impact did World Meningitis Day 2024 have? | How has the campaign grown? | What action was taken on World Meningitis Day? | How were CoMO members supported to take part in World Meningitis Day? | What other ways did CoMO members support World Meningitis Day 2024? |
Previous CoMO member activity on World Meningitis Day
What impact did World Meningitis Day 2024 have?
In just three years, the number of countries supporting World Meningitis Day has increased by 181%, making 2024 the biggest year yet.
Support for the day was shown by global health organisations, and governments and international institutions including the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the NHS, the French Ministry of Health, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSD, the Spanish Senate, Nigeria Rivers State Ministry of Health, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, Sanofi, PATH, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, GSK and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
By uniting and raising our voices on 5th October, we reached a record number of countries – meaning millions more people in every region of the world are more aware of meningitis, its symptoms, its impact, and what needs to happen to defeat it.
World Meningitis Day reached 1.7 billion people with lifesaving information
How has the campaign grown?
World Meningitis Day was pioneered by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) in 2009 with members undertaking activities in 19 countries. Every year, a growing number of people have come together from all over the world to raise awareness of the impact of meningitis and the investment and political support needed to defeat it. In 2024, 76 CoMO members in 37 countries made their voices heard.
What action was taken on World Meningitis Day?
People around the globe contributed to raising life-saving awareness. Activities included sharing meningitis experiences, illuminating buildings and participating in television and radio interviews.
How were CoMO members supported to take part in World Meningitis Day?
In 2024, we launched our first-ever World Meningitis Day Advocacy Fund. We invested a total of £20,000 in six innovative global advocacy projects to support CoMO members to broaden their reach and amplify their impact.
What other ways did CoMO members support World Meningitis Day 2024?
In 2024, CoMO members did more than ever before.
Activity included:
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Awareness-raising at a children’s hospital in Kenya to highlight the importance of professional development on meningitis.
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The launch of the first national plan to defeat meningitis in the Americas.
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The publication in New Zealand of a bilingual English–Maori colouring book to encourage vaccination.
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A Facebook Live panel discussion in the Philippines, providing life-saving information and sharing the stories of people affected by the disease.
Coming soon:
Read our CoMO members' case studies and be inspired by what they achieved.
Learn more about what CoMO members have achieved in previous years
2023
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Brazil: Associação Brasileira de Combate à Meningite (Brazilian Association for Combating Meningitis)
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India: Brainchild Trust
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Pakistan: Helping Hands Foundation
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Sierra Leone: Children Advocacy Forum
2022
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Japan: Japan Child Meningitis Org
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Nigeria: Care and Development Centre (CADEC)
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USA: Ambiguously Blind
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New Zealand: Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa NZ
Other ways to take part in the World Meningitis Day 2025
There are plenty of ways to get involved in World Meningitis Day.
Join the global movement. Share your meningitis experience, raise life-saving awareness with any of the free resources in our campaign toolkit, or join us in helping light the road at 20:30 (8:30pm) on 5th October.
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Sign up to the Meningitis Research Foundation’s monthly newsletter and find out how we are working to defeat meningitis. Each email is packed with the news on the latest science, meningitis vaccines, and health policy developments. You can also learn more about what is being achieved by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations - our global network of meningitis groups and advocates.
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