In a historic achievement for Kenyan health advocacy, Claytone Musungu, co-founder of Kenya’s Meningitis Awareness Foundation, has been appointed Chair of the Advisory Council of our worldwide meningitis awareness network, the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO). He will also serve as a trustee on the Meningitis Research Foundation board.
Co-founding Kenya’s Meningitis Awareness Foundation
Mr. Musungu co-founded Kenya’s Meningitis Awareness Foundation in November 2018 to raise awareness of meningitis and support affected families, caregivers and survivors. His commitment was fuelled by the heartbreaking reality he witnessed - families left isolated due to stigma and a lack of information about this deadly disease. Since then, he has been a vocal advocate for meningitis prevention and support for survivors, including representing the experiences of people affected in the development of Kenya’s first national meningitis action plan in 2023.
A major health challenge in Kenya
Meningitis remains a major health challenge in Kenya, with an estimated 37,400 cases and 4,270 deaths reported in 2021 (the latest publicly available data). According to the World Health Organization, globally, bacterial meningitis (the disease’s most severe form) kills one in six people and leaves one in five survivors with lifelong disabilities, including hearing loss, brain damage and epilepsy.
Representing our growing global member network
Founded in 2004, CoMO is a global, growing coalition of 158 members in 59 countries, dedicated to defeating meningitis. As Chair, Mr. Musungu will represent Kenya and the African region, which has the highest prevalence of meningitis in the world. His leadership comes at a critical time, with the World Health Organization’s Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030 near its mid-point.
Expressing his commitment to the role, Mr. Musungu stated:
“My advocacy journey began in 2018 with the courage and passion to take action against meningitis. Witnessing the devastating impact of the disease on families in Kenya, I knew I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Being part of CoMO has been inspiring, and now, as Chair, I want to dismantle the myths and stigma surrounding meningitis. My goal is to ensure more families are aware of the disease, can protect their loved ones, and that survivors receive the understanding and support they need - in Kenya and globally. With a national plan for Kenya, a regional plan for Africa, and a Global Road Map, we have the power to defeat meningitis by 2030.”
Vinny Smith, Chief Executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, said,
“Having Claytone on our Board of Trustees and as Chair of our global member network, CoMO, is a moment to celebrate. Having seen him progress from being a member to representing his region to now chairing the Council, we value his knowledge and compassion for those whose lives have been touched by meningitis enormously. Africa has been a trailblazer in the action it has taken to defeat meningitis by 2030, and we know Claytone will help move this forward even more, within Kenya, across the African region, and globally, as we work together to advocate for more lives to be saved.”
Read Claytone’s meningitis story at: meningitis.org/meningitis-in-your-words/claytone-musungu.