Context
The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners launched the first-ever global strategy to defeat meningitis, a debilitating disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people each year.
About WHO’s Strategy
- The global road map sets out a plan to tackle the main causes of acute bacterial meningitis through three strategic goals:
- Eliminate epidemics of bacterial meningitis.
- Reduce cases of vaccine preventable bacterial meningitis by 50% and deaths by 70%.
- Reduce disability and improve quality of life after meningitis of any cause
What is Meningitis?
- Meningitis is an infection of the membranes (meninges) that protect the spinal cord and brain.
- This infection can cause life-threatening problems.
- Caused by: viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections
Types of meningitis
- Viral meningitis: Viral meningitis is the most common type of meningitis.
- Bacterial meningitis: Bacterial meningitis is contagious and caused by infection from certain bacteria.
- Fungal meningitis: Fungal meningitis is a rare type of meningitis.
- Parasitic meningitis
- Non-infectious meningitis
How do people get meningitis?
- Bacteria that enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord cause acute bacterial meningitis.
- It can also occur when bacteria directly invade the meninges.
- This may be caused by an ear or sinus infection, a skull fracture, or — rarely — some surgeries
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