Global Leaders are highlighting the need to defeat meningitis – a leading cause of disability – at a high-level meeting co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of France, under the High Patronage of Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. The event takes place on 26-27 April 2024 at the Institut Pasteur and is supported by prominent athletes championing the cause ahead of the Paris Paralympic Games.
Building on the news of Nigeria successfully launching a new, safe and highly effective vaccine targeting five major strains of bacterial meningitis in Africa, leaders pledged to implement the global roadmap to “Beat Meningitis by 2030”, the which needs a catalytic investment for action. This ground-breaking project looks holistically at how to detect, control and combat meningitis in every region of the world, and how to provide rehabilitation for those who have suffered from the deadly disease.
Bacterial meningitis kills one in six people it strikes and leaves one in five with long-term disabilities. However, many of these deaths and disabilities are preventable with vaccines. Committing to fight meningitis by 2030 will not only save lives, but also save billions of dollars in health costs and lost productivity.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Meningitis is a deadly and debilitating disease. it strikes fast, causes serious health, economic and social consequences and affects people of all ages in every part of the world. Meningitis outbreaks disproportionately affect people living in an area known as the “meningitis belt,” which consists of 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
“Meningitis is fatal in half of untreated cases, but vaccines have dramatically reduced outbreaks such as meningitis A in Africa,” said Dr Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi. “New, effective vaccines targeting five leading strains, such as Men5CV recently launched in Nigeria, are reaching high-risk countries. Gavi’s continued support for the multivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine program, with the required donor funding over the next five years of our work, it is vital to the continued circulation of the vaccine in high-risk countries.”
The Defeat Meningitis by 2030 Roadmap is an innovative approach that enables all stakeholders to work together to tackle all aspects of the disease. If fully funded and implemented, the roadmap could prevent nearly 3 million cases of meningitis and at least 900,000 deaths by 2030, saving US$4-10 billion in medical costs and billions more in indirect costs over the decade.
The roadmap, adopted by the World Health Assembly in its first resolution on meningitis in 2020, details step-by-step how to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of meningitis. The goals will be achieved through five pillars: epidemic prevention and control, diagnosis and treatment, disease surveillance, care and support, and advocacy and engagement. This approach is not only about the prevention and treatment of meningitis, but also emphasizes the necessary support and care for people living with disabling conditions resulting from the infectious disease.
With the Paralympic Games taking place later this year, France seized the opportunity to powerfully articulate the impact of meningitis on those living with long-term disabilities – on their health and well-being, education, access to employment and income – while at the same time it showed a path through which they can enjoy a full and better quality of life.
“France is honored to host the first high-level conference on the Defeating Meningitis 2030 Roadmap. The goals set by the Roadmap are ambitious and innovative, and I am convinced that the commitments made by all stakeholders here today will help to achieve them,” said Frédéric Valletoux, Minister responsible for health and prevention. “Thanks to the cooperation between Member States, technical experts and leaders from civil society, academia and the private sector we will be able to collectively meet this challenge. Our goal is clear: to effectively fight this deadly disease and build a fairer, more resilient world.”
This meeting is the first of its kind on meningitis and is co-sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Institut Pasteur and UNICEF. The roadmap is not just about meningitis investments. it may also have far-reaching implications for primary health care. Its success may accelerate progress in reducing conditions such as sepsis and pneumonia, caused by the same bacteria that cause meningitis, and may help curb antimicrobial resistance.
Significant progress has been made since all Member States endorsed the roadmap. WHO now aims to accelerate priority research activities, continue to update and develop key strategies and policies, and further support countries in all six WHO regions to develop their national meningitis plans. Further commitments in the coming months will allow the roadmap initiatives to be fully implemented.
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“A third of the roadmap’s milestones relate to research that is key to the continued improvement of vaccines, diagnostics and treatments and their subsequent impact,” said Professor Yasmine Belkaid, President of the Institut Pasteur. “The Institut Pasteur is proud to co-sponsor this meeting today and looks forward to working closely with partners to make the benefits of this research accessible where the needs are greatest.”
“For me, the most amazing thing about the roadmap is how it puts a lot of emphasis on support and care for people living with consequences and disabilities,” said Davide Morana, a Paralympic athlete and member of the Roadmap Strategy Support Group. contracted meningitis at age 24; “As someone living with a severe disability, it is extremely encouraging to see innovative work being done not only to prevent meningitis but also to help those who continue to live with the effects of the disease.”
“Children and adolescents are most at risk from meningitis around the world. It can strike quickly and lead to neurological damage, hearing loss, developmental delays and even death,” said Ephrem Lemango, UNICEF Deputy Health Director, Global Director Immunization. “Together with partners, we are committed to strengthening routine immunization for children and ensuring sufficient supply to meet demand for both outbreaks and prevention so that no child suffers from this disease again.”
“The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been a long-time supporter of developing affordable meningitis vaccines and ensuring access for children around the world,” said Keith Klugman, Director of Pneumonia and Pandemic Preparedness at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Guided by the WHO roadmap and bolstered by Gavi and UNICEF’s support for vaccine delivery, this united, multi-stakeholder effort puts partners on a clear path to eliminating meningitis and we are proud to have been part of today’s event ».
