We aim to educate and inform New Zealanders about meningitis and septicaemia and the diseases that cause them – pneumococcal disease and meningococcal disease. In 2018 there were 120 confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in New Zealand, and 10 people died. Across the series, recorded in late April 2019, we talk with individuals who have survived meningitis and families who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a loved one to meningitis. We also talk with medical professionals and government representatives about the disease, the 2018 epidemic in Northland, and the available vaccines. For more information go to www.meningitis.org.nz or follow us on facebook.
Dr Talemaitoga is a GP, currently working between Christchurch and Manukau, Auckland. He has a wealth of experience working with people in New Zealand...
Dr Emma Best has a special interest in pneumococcal and meningococcal meningitis in children. Dr Best provides us with a solid understanding of the di...
Lisa and Mark Gallagher said goodbye to their beautiful daughter in July 2012. Tesh contracted meningococcal disease as an 18 year old and died within...
Jamie Martin is a meningitis survivor, a multiple amputee, a US paralympian and an absolute inspiration. Against all odds, she survived meningococcal ...
Paul Gilberd works with a small team of dedicated volunteers to raise awareness of pneumococcal and meningococcal meningitis, to provide information a...
Responsible for the management of vaccine preventable diseases and communicable diseases in NZ, the Ministry receives regular surveillance reports fro...
PHARMAC is NZ's government agency which decides which medicines are funded within a fixed budget decided by the Minister of Health. They assess new me...
Dr Tony Smith has had first hand experience treating patients with meningococcal disease and meningitis in intensive care units at North Shore Hospita...
As a researcher and vaccine specialist Dr Petousis-Harris sees our battle with pneumococcal and meningococcal disease as an ongoing battle with a micr...
Peter and Helen Rowlands' lives have been impacted by meningitis not just once, but twice. Their son Gareth died from meningococcal septicaemia at 16 ...