Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) have strengthened their already close collaboration through a merger agreement. CoMO is now part of MRF as both organisations work to defeat meningitis by 2030.
Meningitis Research Foundation has driven the call to defeat meningitis over recent years. In November 2020, the World Health Assembly agreed on targets that will help reduce the impact of meningitis globally. As a result, meningitis now occupies a key position on the global health agenda with the green light for the World Health Organization’s new initiative – ‘Defeat Meningitis by 2030: a Global Road Map’.
The roadmap has ambitious goals which can only be achieved through effective collaboration. CoMO and MRF have been working closely on common goals for many years, and the roadmap provides the perfect opportunity to align more closely.
Members of CoMO, MRF and the Group B Strep Support (GBSS) meeting at Wilton Park to discuss the roadmap in February 2019. GBSS are not part of the merger.
The roadmap calls for community-led awareness campaigns, a greater understanding of the life-long impacts of meningitis and citizen input into country efforts to tackle the diseases. By joining forces, both MRF and CoMO are better positioned to help deliver these important programmes of work.
Vinny Smith, MRF CEO, said: “This merger maximises the opportunities and benefits of the World Health Organisation’s new Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis over the coming years and helps both organisations achieve their missions. We are leading on Advocacy and Engagement for the roadmap, and patient voice is an essential part of that. We are very excited to be working more closely with CoMO members around the world on this exciting initiative.”
Sam Nye, CoMO Executive Director, said: “For CoMO members, there will be few differences on a day to day basis. However, a merger will keep overhead costs as low as possible whilst at the same time making it easier to share information and work more efficiently towards common goals.”
Meningitis Research Foundation is a leading UK and international charity that brings together people and expertise to defeat meningitis and septicaemia wherever it exists. CoMO is an international membership organisation working to reduce the incidence and impact of meningitis worldwide. CoMO brings together patient groups, health professionals and organisations, meningitis survivors and families from more than 35 countries to help prevent meningitis. CoMO staff have been sharing the same office as MRF staff since 2015, and we already have a strong relationship, working closely together on many initiatives.
The names of the organisations are remaining, as is all of the vital work of both organisations.