Meningitis information
Research
Research is essential to improve our understanding of all aspects of meningitis and septicaemia. At present, research centres across the UK and around the world are working on projects that aim to increase our understanding of diagnosis, treatment, prevention and outcomes of these devastating diseases.
Access to this research means that we are able to keep up to date with developments both in the UK and worldwide. This helps us to provide recent and relevant disease information materials and educational resources.
For more information on recent research and news, please go to www.inmed.co.uk/research
Over the past 21 years, the Meningitis Trust has spent over five million pounds on research. With the availability of effective vaccines to prevent some types of meningitis and septicaemia, and the potential production of a vaccine to prevent meningococcal group B disease within the next five years, the Trust is now focusing its research on the after-effects of these devastating diseases.
In early 2008, the Trust commissioned a project to investigate the full impact of meningococcal disease. The aims of this project are to measure the physical, emotional and economic burden of the disease. This will enable the Trust to accurately measure the after care needs of people who have suffered and plan support services effectively.
Neonatal research
Has your baby recently had meningitis?
Would you like to find out about an important study aiming to measure the number of cases of bacterial meningitis in babies less than 90 days old?
Click here to download more information.
Meningitis UK
www.meningitisuk.org We work closely with Meningitis UK, which funds research programmes at leading institutions and universities across the UK.
While there are vaccines to protect against certain types of bacterial meningitis, there is still no vaccine to protect against all forms of the disease, including the most common in the UK - Meningococcal Group B (also referred to as Meningitis B).
Meningitis still kills more under-fives than any other infectious disease and, sadly, six families have to face the sudden tragedy of losing a loved one to meningitis every week.
Because the disease can kill in under four hours and the symptoms are notoriously difficult to spot, Meningitis UK believes a preventative vaccine is the only way to spare people this heartache.
Its Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign aims to raise £7million to help fund cutting-edge research to help achieve this goal and save thousands of lives in the future.
Funded projects range from studies of specific immunity-boosting proteins and potential vaccine candidates, to understanding the mutation of certain strains of meningococcal bacteria against existing vaccines.
Steve Dayman, the charity's Chief Executive, tragically lost his 14-month-old son Spencer to meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in 1982. Steve has since dedicated his life to the meningitis cause, working tirelessly to raise funds to find a vaccine which could change the fate of others who might otherwise find themselves in the same terrible position.
