The Meningitis Flag

The meningitis community is a powerful force for progress, but it has never had a unifying symbol it can rally behind. Until now.

The Meningitis Flag is inspired by para-athletes affected by this devastating disease. Because when these athletes compete, they not only fly the flag for their country; they fly the flag to defeat meningitis.

Designed with and for the community

The Meningitis Flag has been co-created with Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF), the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO), Sanofi, and three para-athletes affected by the disease: Theo Curin, Davide Morana, and Ellie Challis.

This flag is the first ever global symbol that the meningitis community, patient groups, global organizations and the medical community can rally behind to help accelerate their work to defeat meningitis by 2030.

A Unifying Symbol

The idea of 3 is a key element in the design. It represents the 3 meninges (membrane layers that protect and support the brain and spinal cord), the idea of “protect, support, defeat” and the meningitis community - individuals, their families and wider levels of support.

The yellow semi-circle represents the patient as the bright, hopeful center of the movement, symbolizing that every individual is important.

Protecting the individual is a purple triangle – a nod to families who play a supportive role. It is pointing upwards like an arrow, symbolizing speed and positivity in the race against meningitis.

The final layer is a sea of blue, symbolizing a sense of steadfastness in the movement to defeat meningitis.

Meet The Designer

Laura Spring is a textile designer. Led by research and her respect for the environment, Laura’s textiles are thoughtful, timeless and made with joy. Consideration of color and ethical production practices are also at the heart of what Laura creates. This project resonated with Laura in particular due to a personal connection to meningitis and her passion for working with communities.

Find out more about her work

Flying the Flag to raise awareness

Dr. Ravi Kumar, Asia Pacific Regional Representative, Brain Child Trust and Confederation of Meningitis Organisations Advisory Council member:

“I think the meningitis flag will bring attention to the general public that meningitis is real, it is serious and it exists.”

Vinny Smith, Chief Executive, Meningitis Research Foundation and the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations:

“I really want to make sure that we support people, we support the meningitis community, but we also ensure that the flag is a symbol of the support that every single person affected by this disease needs.”

Meningitis Affects Millions

Meningitis is the swelling of the meninges, which is the lining around the brain and spinal cord, caused mainly by germs entering the body¹. It is a potentially life-threatening illness that affects more than 2.5 million people globally each year.² It can affect anyone at any age and can kill within 24 hours.¹

Despite efforts to combat it, awareness and progress are falling behind other diseases. To change this, the World Health Organization (WHO) developed a global roadmap to defeat meningitis by 2030 – an ambitious goal many organizations are working to achieve.

Learn more

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References

World Health Organization. Meningitis. Accessed July 2023.
Schiess N, Groce NE, Dua T. The Impact and Burden of Neurological Sequelae Following Bacterial Meningitis: A Narrative Review. Microorganisms. 2021 Apr 22;9(5):900. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9050900. PMID: 33922381; PMCID: PMC8145552.