Why encephalitis matters? Report of the virtual meeting, 28-29 June 2022

Overview

Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain caused by an infection or by host immune responses. Many different causative organisms have been recognized, although often the cause is unknown. Encephalitis is a growing global threat because of increased population density in communities, intensive farming practices, vaccine hesitancy, climate change and a risk of outbreaks associated with emerging and re-emerging viruses. The exact global burden of encephalitis is currently unknown but the heavy costs associated with neurological sequelae and the impact on families are likely similar to those of other nervous system infections such as meningitis.  WHO initiatives relevant to encephalitis include the Defeating meningitis by 2030 global roadmap; PHC/UHC;  One Health; the Global Arbovirus Initiative and programmes related to pathogen-specific WHO initiatives (e.g. Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, measles, rabies and varicella-zoster virus).

In alignment with the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022–2031, the WHO “Encephalitis as a public health priority” virtual meeting aimed to discuss mechanisms to strengthen countries’ capacity to respond to the public health challenge posed by encephalitis and reduce the burden faced by individuals, families, communities and societies.