Awareness raising to support immunisation

This blog series explores key findings from our 2024 research report Meningitis health communications: Examining channels, messaging and best practice in the African Meningitis Belt. Conducted in partnership with UNICEF, our research investigated practices, barriers, needs and opportunities for greater awareness.  

Meningitis vaccines have saved millions of lives, but the disease still poses a threat. Reducing cases and deaths caused by vaccine-preventable meningitis is a visionary goal of the Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030. An important part of this work is educating communities about meningitis and the importance of vaccination, from inspiring stories of change to practical details about local vaccination campaigns. 

Low awareness and limited funding: 

Our research found that general awareness about meningitis is low – lower than awareness of other vaccine-preventable diseases. To close this gap, strategic and tailored communications are essential. However, many of the communication professionals who participated in our research – from civil society organisations, UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and governments – reported that funding for meningitis communications is often minimal or non-existent.  

Referenced in our research report, a desk review on the acceptance of meningitis vaccines (and the associated risk communication strategies) also found that people’s views on vaccine safety vary significantly by region and across countries.  

Policymakers as an audience and a messenger 

To prevent meningitis, governments must invest in vaccines, but also in communications and advocacy to support their roll-out. Everyone needs to know that the most effective thing you can do to protect yourself and your community from meningitis is to take up the vaccines available to you. People can call for this by highlighting the need for funding to policymakers and government leaders.  

In our research, more than half of respondents identified policymakers as a priority audience, with social media seen as the top channel to reach them. Pictured below is an excerpt from our communications framework, developed using insights from our report. However, more research is needed to understand the best messaging to use for this audience. 

It is important for policymakers (e.g. government representatives) to understand key messages about meningitis because they, in turn, can be trusted messengers to educate the public about the importance of being vaccinated against meningitis. 

Outreach to policymakers

Working with global partners for vaccine communication 

In addition to policymakers, engaging global health organisations like WHO and funders like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is crucial. In its Investment Opportunity for 2026-2030, Gavi commits to developing and distributing vaccines that will immunise at least 500 million more children by 2030. Key meningitis pathogens are among their priority targets: 

• Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) 
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) 
• Streptococcus pneumoniae.  
• Group B Streptococcus (GBS) 

See our quick reads for more information about Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and its work to defeat meningitis. 

Communications to support vaccine introduction 

Robust communications plans and risk communications strategies are especially important for the introduction of new vaccines, such as the MenFive vaccine which protects against five major strains of bacterial meningitis. With government commitment and Gavi support, Nigeria became the first country to roll out Men5CV earlier this year. As more countries introduce new vaccines against meningitis, a strong foundation of awareness will facilitate their uptake and save more lives. 

What next? 

As momentum builds in the race to defeat meningitis, the importance of investing in communications and advocacy should not be underestimated. Our research respondents, working for civil society organisations, UNICEF, WHO and governments, have highlighted a significant funding gap in their work to raise awareness about the disease and the critical importance of vaccination.  If we are to achieve the visionary goal of the Global Road Map “reduction of cases of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis by 50% and deaths by 70%” this must change.