The Defeating Meningitis by 2030 global road map and the PAHO’s implementation framework propose an approach to reduce the burden of meningitis through concerted actions across five interconnected pillars:
(1 Prevention and epidemic control. 2 Diagnosis and treatment. 3 Disease surveillance. 4 Support and care for people affected by meningitis. 5 Advocacy and engagement.)
The five pillars are interconnected, and their beneficial outputs build upon each other. For example, improved disease surveillance (pillar 3) will lead to: earlier diagnostic and treatment (pillar 2), earlier detection of epidemics and response to meningitis outbreaks (pillar 1), better data to guide the design of prevention, support, and communication programs (cross-cutting); and better documentation of the high burden of sequelae (pillar 4 and pillar 5).
