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National plans to defeat meningitis

Making meningitis a political priority at a national level.

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The successful implementation of the road map will depend, first and foremost, on regional and country engagement and political willingness to defeat meningitis.

Defeating Meningitis by 2030: a global road map, page 6

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When countries approved the Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030 at the World Health Assembly, they committed to achieving its aims and making meningitis a political priority.

2025 marked the halfway point to the Road Map’s goal of defeating meningitis by 2030. It is time for governments to honour their commitment to protect and save lives from this deadly and debilitating disease.

The Road Map calls on all countries to develop and implement a tailored plan for meningitis. Responding to the country’s specific needs and circumstances, each plan should consider how to improve meningitis prevention, diagnosis, treatment and aftercare.

We believe that it is essential for governments to meaningfully involve civil society advocates in every step of the national plans process, from development through to implementation.

Regional implementation frameworks

National plans should also be guided by regional frameworks. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that each region of the world develops an implementation framework. Regional frameworks ensure that the WHO’s Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030 is translated into guidance which truly recognises each region’s own unique disease burden, community need, healthcare landscape and political situation. Regional frameworks in turn support governments to develop relevant national plans.

Learn more about regional implementation frameworks.