Meningitis

Factsheet

Key Facts

• Meningitis is a devastating disease that can be deadly and often results in serious long-term health issues.
• Meningitis remains a major global public health challenge.
• Many organisms can cause meningitis, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
• Bacterial meningitis is of particular concern. Around 1 in 6 people who get this type of meningitis die and 1 in 5 have severe complications.
• Epidemics of meningitis are seen across the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Vaccines are the most effective way to deliver long-lasting protection.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be infectious or non-infectious in origin, can be associated with high risk of death and long-term complications, and requires urgent medical care.

Meningitis remains a significant global health threat. It can be caused by several species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Injuries, cancers and drugs cause a small number of cases.

Bacterial meningitis is the most serious type of meningitis. It is a severe, life-threatening condition that can often lead to long-term adverse health consequences. There are four main causes of acute bacterial meningitis:

• Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus)

These bacteria are responsible for more than half of the deaths from meningitis globally and can cause other severe diseases like sepsis and pneumonia.

Additional important causes of meningitis worldwide include other bacteria species (e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes), viruses (e.g. enteroviruses, herpesviruses and arboviruses), fungi (e.g. Cryptococcus spp.), and parasites (e.g. some species of amoebae).

Meningitis is an infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord called the meninges. Viral and bacterial infections are the most common cause but bacterial meningitis is much more serious due to its rapid onset and poses a significant risk of death. Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis.

The use of the MenAfriVac® vaccine to prevent meningitis A epidemics in the African Region is one of the greatest vaccination success stories in public health history and highlights what partners can accomplish when unified by a compelling cause.

In 2014, the MenAfriVac® campaigns reached more than 63 million people with remarkable success. In all, over 350 million people between one and 29 years of age have benefited from the vaccine since 2010.

This unprecedented achievement is due to the overall availability, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. MenAfriVac® is incredibly stable – being the first vaccine to be used with the controlled temperature chain (CTC) approach. This has allowed its transport and storage for as long as 4 days in ambient temperatures up to 40°C.

The World Health Organization (WHO) now recommends the conjugate meningitis A vaccine MenAfriVac® to be introduced in routine immunization schedules in sub-Saharan Africa. This recommendation ensures that infants are protected against meningitis and population-wide immunity is maintained.