World Meningitis Day

World Meningitis Day helps to raise awareness about meningitis - a potentially deadly disease that can kill in a matter of hours or cause lifelong disability. Meningitis continues to be a major global public health issue causing up to 5 million cases each year, including epidemics of new strains that spread between countries and across the world. In November 2020, the Seventy-Third World Health Assembly approved the first ever resolution on meningitis prevention and control and the Defeating meningitis by 2030 global road map. WHO supports efforts to #DefeatMeningitis in light of this new global strategy that aims to eliminate bacterial meningitis epidemics and reduce deaths and disability from the disease.

What you should know

• Meningitis can strike everyone and at all ages – it can be fatal within a few hours and cause lifelong disability.
• Meningitis epidemics can happen fast with serious health, economic and social consequences.  
• Meningitis is a medical emergency and must be treated quickly.