Skip over main navigation
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
The Encephalitis Society

Support line: +44 (0)1653 699599

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Donate
  • Need help?
  • Twitter
Menu
  • Home
  • Encephalitis explained
    • What is encephalitis?
    • Types of encephalitis
      • Infectious encephalitis
      • Auto-immune encephalitis
      • Other
    • Being in hospital
    • Effects
      • How the brain works
      • After-effects of encephalitis
      • Death from encephalitis
      • Effects on learning and school life
    • Recovering from encephalitis
      • Guidelines for recovery
      • Rehabilitation after encephalitis
      • Professionals involved in recovery
      • Neuropsychological assessment
      • Practical strategies
    • Infectious encephalitis and travel
  • How we help
    • Get support (now)
    • Get information
      • Encephalitis in adults
      • Encephalitis in children
      • Information for carers & family
      • Information for teachers
      • Information for health professionals
      • Helpful books
    • Legal advice
    • Meet other people affected
    • Events and activities
  • Raising awareness
    • Our campaigns
      • World Encephalitis Day
      • Hollyoaks
      • Encephalitis Matters petition
    • Our projects around the world
    • Our blog
    • Your stories
    • Our podcasts
    • My brain and me
    • BrainWalk
    • Newsletters
  • Encephalitis research
    • Encephalitis Conference
    • Grants
    • Latest research on encephalitis
      • Research Summary
      • Published papers on encephalitis
      • Current Research Studies
    • Research month
    • Research currently recruiting
    • Professional membership
    • Professional Newsletter
    • Training and consultancy
  • Take Action
    • Fundraise for us
      • Fundraising events
      • Do your own thing
      • Fundraising Blog
    • Donate now
    • Ways to give
      • Give in memory
      • Gift Aid
      • Unity Lottery
      • Trusts and foundations
      • Leave a legacy
      • Other ways to give
    • Membership
    • Volunteer
    • Corporate engagement
    • Corporate partners
  • About us
    • Our vision
    • Our team
      • Our Ambassadors
      • Our President / VPs
      • Our Scientific Advisory Panel
      • Our Trustees
      • Our Staff
    • Our previous events
    • Our impact
    • Our accounts
    • Our policies
    • Current vacancies
    • Media Centre
  • Shop
  • World Encephalitis Day
  • Coronavirus and encephalitis
  • 01653692583
    • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. Raising awareness
  2. Our campaigns
  3. Encephalitis Matters petition

Encephalitis Matters


Sign our petition

I am Dr Ava Easton, Chief Executive of the Encephalitis Society.

Many of you reading this will not know what encephalitis is, and that’s a fact I worry about every single day.

Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain – a neurological condition which affects over 500,000 people across the world each year – regardless of their age, sex or nationality. Encephalitis is more common, in many countries, than motor neurone disease/ALS, bacterial meningitis, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis, yet most people have never heard of it.

I have seen first-hand the devastation encephalitis leaves in its wake and since then, I’ve made encephalitis my life’s work

Encephalitis has a high death rate and, even then, those who survive can be left with an acquired brain injury and life-changing disabilities, such as epilepsy, chronic fatigue, profound memory problems, and changes in their personalities and behaviour.

And it is not just the person affected that is a victim – encephalitis affects families , in some cases leaving them grieving for the person they once knew

It is truly a global concern which is why we are calling on the World Health Organization and its Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to do two things:

1. feature World Encephalitis Day as one their World Health Campaigns.

2.  meet with me and our Scientific Advisory Panel to talk about why encephalitis matters and how we can further the encephalitis agenda more globally

We need the World Health Organization to agree that encephalitis matters, and to use their influence to highlight  a condition which we know 80% of people around the world are unaware of.

#EncephalitisMatters

Thank you,

Ava

Sign our petition

Published: 12th July, 2019

Updated: 16th August, 2019

Author: Andrew Pitt

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Latest

  • Investigating how families cope with the social and emotional impacts of a diagnosis of encephalitis: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis

  • Book your place - Encephalitis 2021

    Book your place - Encephalitis 2021

    Book your place at Encephalitis 2021 - our annual conference for health professionals with an interest in encephalitis

  • Encephalitis 2021

    Encephalitis 2021

    Encephalitis 2021 will take place on 7th December, in London. Our conference is dedicated exclusively to encephalitis and covers epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation in both children and adults.

  • Bavarian Nordic

    Bavarian Nordic

Most read

  • NMDAR antibody encephalitis

    NMDAR antibody encephalitis

    NMDAR antibody encephalitis is an autoimmune disease that causes psychiatric features, confusion, memory loss and seizures followed by a movement disorder, loss of consciousness and changes in blood pressure, heart rate and temperature.

  • Herpes Simplex  virus encephalitis

    Herpes Simplex virus encephalitis

    Herpes simplex encephalitis is a type of infectious encephalitis which happens when herpes simplex virus (HSV) enters the brain. Usually, it begins with ‘flu-like’ symptoms followed by neurological deterioration, which may include personality and behavioural changes, seizures, weakness and difficulties in communication.

  • What is encephalitis?

    What is encephalitis?

    Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain caused by an infection or through the immune system attacking the brain in error.

  • West Nile encephalitis

    West Nile encephalitis

    West Nile encephalitis is a type of infectious encephalitis caused by West Nile virus. People usually become infected after being bitten by a mosquito, which has fed on an infected bird.

  • Guidelines for recovery

    Guidelines for recovery

    No two people with encephalitis have the same outcomes. People recover at different paces. Recovery can be helped by having lots of rest, good nutrition, helpful social network and support from professionals.

  • Limbic encephalitis

    Limbic encephalitis

    The term ‘limbic encephalitis’ (LE) describes the condition when limbic areas of the brain are inflamed (swollen) and consequently not functioning properly. Most forms of LE fall into two main categories: infectious encephalitis and autoimmune encephalitis.

  • Japanese encephalitis

    Japanese encephalitis

    Japanese encephalitis is an infectious encephalitis caused by Japanese encephalitis virus transmitted by mosquitoes, called ‘Culex’ mosquitoes.

  • Hashimoto's encephalopathy

    Hashimoto's encephalopathy

    Hashimoto's encephalopathy is a rare condition, which is probably of autoimmune origin. The concept of HE is becoming fragmented into a number of other types of autoimmune encephalitis which appear to have their own autoantibodies, prognosis and associated features.

  • Death from encephalitis

    Death from encephalitis

    Encephalitis is a serious neurological condition and unfortunately, despite improvements in specific and more supportive treatments such as excellent intensive care management, encephalitis still has a high mortality (death) rate.

  • Measles infection and encephalitis

    Measles infection and encephalitis

    Measles causes encephalitis in children with measles infection. Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is a very effective way to prevent against these diseases.

Tag cloud

About Us Anne McIntosh anti-nmdar Brain on Fire Case Studies encephalitis blog Japanese encephalitis limbic membership NeuroAccess Story support Tick-borne encephalitis volunteer

Latest tweet

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Sitemap
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Media Centre

Contact us

Encephalitis Society, 32 Castlegate,
Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 7DT
United Kingdom
T: +44(0)1653 692583
E: [email protected] (general enquiries)
E: [email protected] (support enquiries)
Directions

The Encephalitis Society is the operating name of the Encephalitis Support Group which is a registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee.

Registered in England and Wales No. 04189027. Registered Office as above. Registered Charity No. 1087843. Registered Charity in Scotland: SC048210

Sign up for our newsletter

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])


We automatically make you a member which is free and supports our work, you can opt out at any time.