The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV), together with GSK Philippines, marked World Meningitis Day 2025 by calling for urgent and coordinated action to align the country with global efforts to defeat the disease by 2030. The observance highlighted the need for prevention through education, earlier diagnosis, stronger surveillance, and survivor support.
The call comes as the world reaches the halfway point of the World Health Organization’s Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis by 2030. Meningitis remains one of the most devastating infectious diseases, capable of claiming lives in less than 24 hours. Survivors often face lifelong complications, including hearing loss, seizures, and developmental delays.
According to the Meningitis Progress Tracker, the Philippines ranks 32nd out of 194 countries globally and 2nd out of 27 countries in the Asia-Pacific region for meningitis cases. The burden is most severe among children, with nearly 40% of global meningitis deaths occurring in those under five years old. PFV stressed that while meningitis must be addressed across all ages, the First 1,000 Days of life remain the most critical window for protection.
PFV Executive Director Dr. Lulu Bravo, PFV President Dr. Rose Capeding, and GSK Philippines Country Medical Director Dr. Gio Barangan emphasized that meningitis continues to place a heavy toll on Filipino families, with delayed diagnosis, underreporting, and gaps in survivor care making the situation worse. They noted that meningitis can kill within hours, and when it strikes during the First 1,000 Days, the crucial stage of brain, immunity, and developmental growth, the effects are often irreversible. Protecting children in this window, they said, is a shared responsibility that demands stronger surveillance, faster referral systems, and long-term support for affected families. Defeating meningitis, they added, requires more than science: it calls for resilient health systems, inclusive programs for vulnerable populations, and partnerships that connect global goals with local realities.
As part of the observance, PFV and GSK participated in the “Light the Road Ahead” ceremony, a global chain of light honoring lives lost to meningitis and survivors living with its impact.
During the Philippine forum, resource speakers Dr. Ma. Liza Antoinette Gonzales (Past President, PFV), Dr. Janette de la Calzada (Treasurer, Child Neurology Society of the Philippines), and Marjorie Puro, a mother of a meningitis survivor, engaged in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Edwin V. Rodriguez (Pediatric Hematology Specialist and Vaccine Advocate). The experts debunked common myths about meningitis, explained who is most at risk, and outlined prevention and treatment strategies.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Capeding reaffirmed PFV’s mission, saying that for every family and community touched by meningitis, there must also be hope and light, and that the foundation remains committed to ending epidemics, reducing disability, and saving lives so that no child’s future is left in the dark.
Looking ahead, PFV announced that it will co-lead a national coalition on meningitis alongside the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (PSMID) and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP), with support from the Confederation of Meningitis Organizations (CoMO) World Meningitis Day Advocacy Fund 2025. Planned initiatives include a proposed congressional resolution declaring October 5th as Philippine Meningitis Day, as well as a survivor-led campaign and advocacy toolkit to sustain momentum.
With lights raised on World Meningitis Day 2025, PFV and GSK reaffirmed their commitment to accelerate progress so that by 2030, no Filipino child or family will have to face meningitis alone.
