Meningitis Research Foundation finalist for Bristol Life Award

Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) has been shortlisted for the prestigious Bristol Life Awards. The charity has reached the final of the Technology and Innovation Category, for their work developing the Meningitis Progress Tracker, which has brought together key available meningitis data into one place for the first time - illustrating the very real impact this disease has around the world.

MRF is a Bristol-based charity working to defeat meningitis. Over 5 million people are affected by meningitis each year globally and the charity estimates that nearly 2,500 of the cases of bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease occur in the UK.

Meningitis and septicaemia (also known as sepsis) are deadly diseases that strike without warning. They can affect anyone of any age, with deaths from meningitis and neonatal sepsis together being the second biggest infectious killers of under-fives. Tragically. in the UK, meningitis kills around one in ten people affected, whilst around one in five people are left with long term after effects, such as limb loss or cognitive impairment.

MRF is part of a World Health Organization Technical Taskforce, developing the Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis by 2030. As part of this programme they have developed a Meningitis Progress Tracker – a data visualisation platform that brings together global data on meningitis from a range of sources into one place, enabling researchers, social scientists, policy makers and healthcare professionals to see a global overview of meningitis and make informed decisions on policy, vaccines, treatment and support. The Meningitis Progress Tracker has been endorsed by the World Health Organization as the central tool to monitor progress in defeating meningitis.

The Bristol Life Awards are also an opportunity to acknowledge and reflect on the work that MRF does in the Bristol area.  For more than thirty years MRF has worked with local families affected by the disease, local universities to raise awareness, and Bristol people campaigning for policy changes.  The charity’s staff and volunteers work in the city to provide information and support for individuals and families affected by meningitis locally, nationally and internationally.

Vinny Smith, CEO of MRF, says: “MRF is honored to have been shortlisted for this award from Bristol Life. We have been based in and around Bristol for over thirty years and from this base we support families within the city and work on the Roadmap to defeat meningitis by 2030.”

“MRF is working with the World Health Organization and we’re involved with supporting people affected. MRF’s Meningitis Progress Tracker underpins our efforts to fight the disease – good data is crucial in order to move towards a world free from meningitis by 2030.”

“MRF provides invaluable support to individuals and families affected by meningitis and septicaemia, whether they are living with after effects caused by the disease or coping with the death of a loved one. With Bristol’s support we can defeat meningitis by 2030.”

Anyone can call MRF’s Helpline on 0808 8003344 for free between 9-5 for information and support, outside of those hours visit www.meningitis.org.