A total of 156 landmarks lit up red in support of World Encephalitis Day on 22nd February, 2021.

World Encephalitis Day 2021 on 22nd February, 2021, saw us reach over 50 million people through our media campaign as well as turn social media into a sea of red as our supporters joined us in going #Red4WED.

The centrepiece of our annual campaign was lighting up 156 landmarks in 23 countries around the world, including Niagara Falls, the Cameroon Reunification Monument, Alexandra Palace in London, the Sails of Light in Vancouver and more than 50 hospitals in India.

The response in 2021 sincerely blew us away and made all our hard work worthwhile.

THANK YOU to each and everyone of you who has come out to raise awareness of encephalitis and gone #Red4WED - it means the world to all of us and shows what can be achieved when we all come together.

Highlights video

Our highlights from World Encephalitis Day 2021.

World Encephalitis Day in Numbers

More Highlights

Lighting up landmarks for WED

More than 150 landmarks went #Red4WED. Click on the image below to see lots more pictures.

Going #Red4WED

Our members turned the world #Red4WED. Click on the photo below to see the many different photographs taken on World Encephalitis Day.

Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group

Dr Christopher Uy is a Clinical Research Fellow with the Oxford Autoimmune Neurology Group. He is also a talented videographer and together with his research colleagues, including Professor Sarosh Irani, put together this film which explores what happens when a patient is admitted to John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, with autoimmune encephalitis.

Fun and interesting - it gives you an idea of just how many experts care for a patient and also tackles bigger questions leading to insights and discoveries about the causes of these diseases.

Acrobatics

Speaking of Christopher - he is also a talented acrobat!

A high five for WED

This is Gabe and Andy who did a special High Five for World Encephalitis Day. Find out more about this lovely story.

To Olivia

To Olivia is a Sky Original Film about Roald Dahl (Hugh Bonneville) and his wife Patricia Neal (Keeley Hawes) whose lives are turned upside down by the devastating death of their daughter from measles encephalitis. Our CEO Dr Ava Easton wrote a blog and interviewed the director and producer for The Encephalitis Podcast.

Hugh knew about World Encephalitis Day

The loss of Roald Dahl’s daughter to measles #encephalitis is at the heart of the film #ToOlivia, in which I co-star with Keeley Hawes and Sam Heughan, now on @SkyCinemaUK.

To mark #WorldEncephalitisDay: five facts about this devastating brain condition. https://t.co/FXDWwjTTxd pic.twitter.com/PisMpCsHCO

— Hugh Bonneville (@hughbon) February 22, 2021

The music sounds better with you

We put together a Spotify playlist - find out more about why the songs were chosen.

India goes #Red4WED

Our friends in India pulled out all the stops to support our campaign to light up red buildings in their beautiful country.... with 42 landmarks going #Red4WED in the end. Amazing! 

Launch of #biglobalproject and #WedForRed.... there was health minister @DrSudhakarMLA @jawaidakhter .... @gururaj nimhans director..... buildings lit up in red were #nimhanshospital. #vikassoudha district hospitals @kolar @bellary@gulbarga pic.twitter.com/2mvsen8xKq

— Netra (@Netravathi_m) February 22, 2021

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Thank you for your support!

This project is supported by a charitable donation from Pfizer Ltd

Sanofi Pasteur UK has provided financial contribution towards this project but has had no input into the content and/or materials