Meningitis UK is a national charity based in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Its sole focus is on prevention and funding lifesaving research to eradicate all forms of meningitis

Meningitis

Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...

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History of Meningitis UK

Meningitis UK was originally called the Spencer Dayman Meningitis Laboratories in memory of founder and chief executive Steve Dayman's son, who died of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in 1982, aged 14-months. It was established in 1999 to fund a £500,000 state-of-the-art dedicated meningitis research laboratory in the University of Bristol's School of Medical Sciences.

Once this project was completed, the charity decided to focus solely on funding research into a preventative vaccine for all forms of meningitis.

Research programme

The charity's research programme includes projects at leading institutions and universities across the UK. 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.

Past breakthroughs

Since Dayman first got involved with the meningitis cause in 1982, significant breakthroughs have been made in combating the disease. These include the development of the Hib vaccine which was introduced into the Childhood Immunisation Programme in the UK in 1992, the meningitis C vaccine in 1999, and a vaccine to protect against pneumococcal meningitis in 2006. Since its introduction, the meningitis C vaccine has reduced cases of group C disease by over 90 per cent. Estimates show that in its first year, the pneumococcal vaccine prevented over 300 cases of serious childhood illness such as pneumococcal meningitis. In January 2010 the Department of Health announced it would be introducing a new vaccine to combat pneumococcal disease will be introduced in spring 2010.

Future challenges

Until recently there was no vaccine to protect against all forms of meningitis and associated diseases, including the most common form in the UK - meningococcal group B. However, it was announced in June 2011 that the first vaccine against meningitis B could become available in the UK within months.

A vaccine with proven effectiveness against Meningitis B was developed in Cuba in the 1980s. Since then, 55 million doses have been administered in Cuba and other countries.

Awareness programme

In the absence of a vaccine to protect against all forms of the disease, Meningitis UK also runs a nationwide awareness programme to raise awareness of the common symptoms and need to act quickly.

Patrons

• Sarah Ayton
  Sarah Ayton
  Sarah Lianne Ayton Dempsey OBE is an English professional sailor.She won a gold medal in the Yngling sailing class in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, together with Shirley Robertson and Sarah Webb, and another gold medal in the Yngling sailing class in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing,...
  
  
• Robin Cousins
  Robin Cousins
  Robert "Robin" Cousins is a British retired competitive figure skater. He is the 1980 Olympic Champion, the 1980 European champion, a three-time World medalist and four-time British national champion. He later starred in ice shows and also produced his own...
  
  
• Denis Law
  Denis Law
  Denis Law is a retired Scottish football player, who enjoyed a long and successful career as a striker from the 1950s to the 1970s....
  
  
• Jane Seymour
  Jane Seymour
  Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
  
   and James Keach
  James Keach
  James Keach is an American actor, producer, and director. He is the younger brother of actor Stacy Keach, Jr., and son of actor Stacy Keach, Sr.-Background:...
  
  
• Joe Swash
  Joe Swash
  Joseph Adam Swash is an English actor and presenter. He once played Mickey Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders. He is the older brother of Shana Swash, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...
  
  
• Shirley Webb
  Shirley Webb
  Shirley Webb is a British hammer thrower and Gladiator. She was born in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, England and is the daughter of Andrew Webb, a Scottish international hurdler who competed at the Commonwealth Games...
  
  
• Bob Woodward