“Robust communication strategies are essential in getting information, advice and guidance to the people who most need it. By strengthening health communication and engagement techniques and continuing our research to monitor progress and deepen our understanding, we have good reason to envisage a future free from meningitis epidemics.”
Dr Ephrem Tekle Lemango, UNICEF’s Associate Director and Chief of Immunisation
Every year, there are more than 2.5 million cases of bacterial and viral meningitis. But despite its prevalence, meningitis is a complex disease and a difficult topic to communicate.
In partnership with UNICEF, Meningitis Research Foundation conducted research to investigate how professionals are approaching this challenge in the Meningitis Belt; 26 African countries that experience the highest burden of disease and are at increased risk of epidemics.
The research gathered the perspectives of health agencies, healthcare professionals and civil society organisations across the region. It found that messaging on signs and symptoms is limited, meaning low awareness of the impact of meningitis and the vaccines available to prevent it. Crucially, funding gaps were consistently identified as a major barrier to this life-saving work.
The report, available to download below, sets out a clear and usable path for effective and impactful meningitis communications. The regional communications framework (section 2), which captures the findings from the research, is the first of its kind.
“To defeat meningitis by 2030, we need well-resourced, usable tools in the hands of the communicators who work with those communities most impacted by this disease.
This research has found that a lack of funding for health communication is impacting the capacity of those working in the Meningitis Belt to develop and disseminate crucial, life-saving activities. The publication of the WHO’s investment case is the right moment to start raising our voices in pursuit of sufficient resourcing for advocacy and engagement work like this which, alongside groundbreaking innovation such as the recent introduction of the Men5 vaccine in Nigeria, will save lives”.
Vinny Smith, Chief Executive, Meningitis Research Foundation and the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations.