True impact of meningitis

A survey carried out by the UK’s longest established meningitis charity - The Meningitis Trust - suggests the true impact of this devastating disease is far greater than many people realise.

Results indicate that as many as 500,000 people living in the UK today have had either viral or bacterial meningitis at some time in their lives - and many of them have been left to cope with the after effects every day.

The survey, commissioned by the Meningitis Trust in its 21st anniversary year, also suggests that up to 10 million adults in the UK - as many as one adult in every four - knows of someone who has contracted this life shattering disease.

“That doesn’t mean they have read about it in a newspaper or seen something on television,” said Sue Davie, Chief Executive of the Meningitis Trust. “It means relatives or friends, people they work with or people from their local community. It could be their local tradesman or teacher, someone at the gym they go to or a parent they know from the school gates. It is people that they come into contact with every day.

“These survey results reflect what we have believed for many years. For every individual who has fought meningitis there are many more whose lives have been touched by it in one way or another. In many cases their lives will never be the same again.”

Meningitis is known as a killer disease. It kills more children under the age of five than any other infectious disease. But it can strike anyone at any time and at any age. Around 3,000 cases of bacterial meningitis occur every year in the UK and there are probably more than double that number of cases of viral meningitis.

“The truth is that many people do survive meningitis but thousands are left with debilitating after effects including deafness, blindness, limb loss, learning difficulties, memory issues and behavioural problems. The impact may also cause relationship difficulties and an enforced change of lifestyle.

“At the same time their families may be struggling to understand and having to take lots of time off work, friends don’t know what to say or do and the local community is scared,” added Sue Davie. “Meningitis is like a pebble dropped into a pool of water. It has a ripple effect which has an impact on more people than many realise. That’s why the work of the Meningitis Trust is so important. We are here for everyone struggling to cope with the impact of meningitis.

“We believe there are many people today suffering in silence who really need our support and we know that without doubt there will be many thousands more in future. There will always be meningitis and that means there will always be a need for the Meningitis Trust.”

24 hour helpline: 0800 028 1828
For more information visit: www.meningitis-trust.org

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