HEALTH advocates on Friday marked World Meningitis Day with a call for coordinated action to enable the country to cope with global efforts against the disease.
The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination and GSK Philippines made the call as they cited the need for public education, early detection, and stronger support for survivors of the malady.
They warned that meningitis is “among the most aggressive infectious diseases, capable of claiming lives within 24 hours and leaving survivors with permanent complications such as hearing loss, seizures, or developmental delays.”
This year’s campaign came in conjunction with the World Health Organization’s Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis by 2030.
Data from the Meningitis Progress Tracker ranked the Philippines as 32nd worldwide of and second in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of meningitis incidence.
