WHO issues first global guidelines for meningitis diagnosis and treatment, aiming to reduce deaths and improve patient care. Learn more about the new recommendations
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has unveiled its first-ever global guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of meningitis, marking a significant step in the fight against this deadly disease.
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These new guidelines are designed to expedite detection, ensure timely treatment, and enhance long-term care for those affected, ultimately reducing deaths and disabilities.
Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasized the importance of these guidelines, stating, “Bacterial meningitis kills one in six of the people it strikes and leaves many others with lasting health challenges. Implementing these new guidelines will help save lives, improve long-term care for those affected by meningitis, and strengthen health systems.”
The recommendations cover the clinical management of meningitis in children, adolescents, and adults, addressing all aspects of care, including diagnosis, antibiotic therapy, adjunctive treatment, supportive care, and management of long-term effects. Given the similarities in clinical presentations, the guidelines address both bacterial and viral causes.
These guidelines are applicable in both non-epidemic and epidemic settings, superseding the 2014 WHO guidelines that focused solely on meningitis outbreak responses.
Meningitis can affect anyone, anywhere, and at any age, but the disease burden is particularly high in low- and middle-income countries and regions experiencing large-scale epidemics, such as the ‘meningitis belt’ in sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite the availability of effective treatments and vaccines for some forms of meningitis, it remains a significant global health threat. In 2019, an estimated 2.5 million cases were reported globally, including 1.6 million cases of bacterial meningitis, which resulted in approximately 240,000 deaths.
Furthermore, around 20% of bacterial meningitis survivors develop long-term complications, impacting their quality of life and placing a heavy financial and social burden on individuals, families, and communities.
The WHO’s new guidelines aim to provide a crucial tool for healthcare professionals worldwide, ensuring better outcomes for meningitis patients. This is a significant development in the health sector.
