World Meningitis Day is fast approaching, with the global day of action calling for the world to defeat meningitis on 5th October.

Meningitis is a largely vaccine-preventable infection yet, across the world, there are still over 2.5 million cases every year, and over 230,000 deaths. It is because of statistics like this that, every year, we call for change and awareness so suffering from meningitis can be defeated in our lifetimes. With a World Health Organization Global Road Map in place, we have the plan. Now we need to raise our voices to turn that plan into reality. This is the time for action.

How you can take action to defeat meningitis

• Use the World Meningitis Day toolkit to tell everyone you know why you want to see meningitis defeated.
  From putting a sticker on your regular social media post to sharing one of our graphics that explain what the signs and symptoms of meningitis are, we’ve got everything you need to tell people you’re supporting World Meningitis Day.

• Tell your politician why defeating meningitis matters.
  Your voice matters. Telling your political representative that defeating meningitis is important to you and is a global health issue you want them to prioritise can make a difference. To help you do this we’ve created a template for you to use and send. Make five minutes of your time matter.

• Understand more about the experience of having meningitis and share with others what you’ve seen.
  You may have never had any direct experience of meningitis but, for those that do, the outcomes can be heart-breaking and inspiring. Watch our Meningitis & Me video series to learn more about life after meningitis.

• Share your London Marathon story, donate or hold your own fundraiser
  Train, tell your story, run, donate, fundraise. Whether you’re one of the nearly 200 people running this year’s London Marathon because they want to defeat meningitis, or believe in our vision that suffering from meningitis can end, you can donate and fundraise. Do it and make a difference.

• Follow #WorldMeningitisDay2022 or #DefeatMeningitis and see what others are doing to defeat meningitis.
  Still not sure? Follow the campaign hashtags (#WorldMeningitisDay2022 or #DefeatMeningitis) and be inspired by what is happening all over the world. Share any one of the posts with your followers and know you’re helping to make this year’s World Meningitis Day loud. Together we can do this.