How we are defeating meningitis

Our 2021 – 2025 strategy

A world free from meningitis and sepsis.

MRF strategy 2021 - 2025That’s our vision; what shapes and informs everything we do.

Our role in that? To support and connect people and research to drive action and save lives.

Our strategy, from 2021 to 2025, sets out how we will work towards achieving this.

It outlines the four goals and the four outcomes we are working towards every day. It applies to the work of Meningitis Research Foundation in the UK and internationally, and to our global member network, the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO).

It has been developed by listening to what the individuals and families directly affected by meningitis need.

It has been guided by what the scientists, funders and policy makers we collaborate with all over the world tell us we do best, and where we can make the biggest difference.

Our goals 

Goal 1: To enable research for better evidence and policy

Outcome: scientists, researchers and public health practitioners will better understand meningitis, its impact on people’s lives, and what to do to defeat it.

Goal 2: To transform public and policy engagement in meningitis

Outcome: meningitis will be a global health priority so more people are aware of its signs and symptoms; more people seek medical help when they need to; and patient groups across the world are stronger and better supported to advocate for defeating meningitis.

Goal 3: To secure the profile and funds to deliver our goals

Outcome: we will have the funds and relationships needed to support our work.

Goal 4: To grow our capacity to deliver at scale

Outcome 4: We can deliver on our promises and potential as an organisation.


You can read more on each of these goals in our strategy for 2021 – 2025. It shows how we are moving forward as one, across Meningitis Research Foundation and CoMO. These goals reflect where we have come from, show our ambition for where we are going to, and why our work matters.

It is about how we will continue to connect people, evidence and action for change, so meningitis can be defeated, wherever in the world it exists.

As Vinny Smith, our Chief Executive says,

By 2030 we want to see meningitis defeated. In 2020 the World Health Assembly supported by members from all six World Health Organization (WHO) regions passed a new resolution with that single goal as its focus.

This means reducing new cases of meningitis by 50%. Reducing deaths by 70%. Ending epidemics. Ensuring people get the support and aftercare they need. It is a highly ambitious aim, but one that we and our partners in this work think is achievable.

Thank you for supporting us on this journey so far, for doing so as we work towards each of our strategic goals between now and 2025, and for continuing to support us as we work towards defeating meningitis by 2030.

We take action that benefits people directly, including running awareness campaigns, training health professionals and providing support and information services.
We directly fund, seek grant funding for, and support high-quality research to help defeat meningitis.
We call for positive change as a united voice against meningitis and septicaemia, and a dedicated champion for those it affects.