patient lying on a hospital bed. A conversation between a person and a doctor.
October 5, 2022

World Meningitis Day

Let’s work together to #DefeatMeningitis

Despite advances in vaccines and other preventative measures, meningitis and encephalitis continue to claim lives across the globe (1). 

But we can fight back by knowing our enemy. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set out an ambitious plan to defeat meningitis by 2030. Their mission rests, in part, on the development and equitable expansion of access to rapid molecular diagnostics (2). These tools can empower clinicians to make faster therapeutic decisions that can help save lives.

This year, we’re teaming up with the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) to help raise awareness about the global threat of meningitis and support the WHO in their mission to defeat this devastating disease (2). Take part in World Meningitis Day by learning more about meningitis and the WHO’s plan, taking our donation-linked quiz and spreading the word on social media.

Improving outcomes

Medical doctor team at a meeting having conversation.
What actions can the global healthcare community take to help reduce the burden of meningitis? The European Medical Journal sat down with four leading specialists in meningitis/encephalitis – Dr. Susanna Esposito, Dr. Jordi Villa, Dr. Gorm Lisby and Dr. Justin Chai – to discuss why rapid diagnostic tools were at the top of their list for improving patient outcomes.
Read the article

WHO road map 2030

The World Health Organization (WHO) has laid out a plan to defeat meningitis by 2030 with the following goals (2):

  • Eliminating epidemics of bacterial meningitis
  • Reducing cases of vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis by 50% and deaths by 70%
  • Reducing disability and improving quality of life after meningitis of any cause

The WHO is championing five key initiatives to achieve these goals:

  • Prevention and epidemic control
  • Diagnosis and treatment 
  • Disease surveillance
  • Support and care for people affected by meningitis
  • Advocacy and engagement

In addition to preventative measures, the expanded use of evidence-based diagnostic tools for quickly confirming meningitis will be crucial for reducing the harm caused by these infections.

Test your knowledge & donate

Take our quiz and contribute to the eradication of meningitis in the process. For each unique quiz submission*, we’ll donate USD $10 to the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations, whose mission is to reduce the incidence and impact of meningitis worldwide. 

* Total donation of up to USD $5000. Please see the terms and conditions in the quiz below.

Learn on-demand

Rapid molecular diagnostic tools, including multiplex PCR panel tests, have the potential to dramatically speed up the time to diagnosis for individuals with meningitis. Watch our on-demand webinars below to learn how these tests can improve meningitis diagnostics. 
A woman in a white doctor's apron.

Quick and effective diagnosis of meningitis and gastroenteritis

Speaker: Liliana Gabrielli, MD Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Bologna, Italy
When a patient is critically ill, a quick diagnosis is crucial. Join Dr. Liliana Gabrielli as she evaluates rapid molecular testing in the diagnosis of central nervous system and gastrointestinal infections. 

Watch the webinar
Man in white t-shirt.

Quickly diagnosing meningitis and encephalitis

Speaker: Thomas Sundelin Ph.D., Clinical Microbiology Department, Herlev Hospital, Denmark
In this webinar, Dr. Sundelin discusses the clinical validation of a rapid multiplex PCR test for central nervous system infections, the QIAstat-Dx Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel. 
Watch the webinar

Further reading

References 
  1. GBD 2016 Meningitis Collaborators (2018) Lancet. 17,1061–1082. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474- 4422(18)30387-9
  2. WHO. Defeating Meningitis by 2030. https://www.who.int/initiatives/defeating-meningitis-by-2030 

The QIAstat-Dx ME Panel is indicated as an aid in the diagnosis of specific agents that cause meningitis and/or encephalitis, and results must be used in conjunction with other clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory data. Results from the QIAstat-Dx ME Panel are not intended to be used as the sole basis for diagnosis, treatment, or other patient management decisions. Positive results do not rule out co-infection with organisms not included in the QIAstat-Dx ME Panel. The agent or agents detected may not be the definite cause of the disease. Negative results do not preclude central nervous system (CNS) infection.

The QIAstat-Dx ME Panel is intended for in vitro diagnostic use by laboratory professionals only.

Product availability may differ from country to country based on regulations and approvals. Contact your country representative for further details. For up-to-date licensing information and product-specific disclaimers, see the respective QIAGEN kit instructions for use or user manual. QIAGEN instructions for use and user manuals are available at www.qiagen.com or can be requested from QIAGEN Technical Services (or your local distributor).