Meningitis Foundation Announces New Educational Resources For Pasifika Peoples On Eve Of World Meningitis Day

To mark World Meningitis Day on October 5, The Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand has launched new bilingual editions of The Meningitis Colouring Book, in Tongan and Samoan making this important educational resource accessible to even more families and communities.

The book was first published in 2023 as a bilingual Te Reo Māori resource, designed to help children, whānau, and communities understand the signs and symptoms of meningitis in a simple, child-friendly format. With the support of translators, health professionals, and community advocates, the Foundation has now extended its reach by producing Pacific language editions.

Pacific peoples are over-represented in invasive meningococcal disease statistics. In the five years to the end of 2024, Pacific peoples made up 13.4% of all cases of invasive meningococcal disease, despite comprising just 8.8% of the population. Exacerbating this, just 58.8% of eligible Pacific children on the Aotearoa Immunisation Register were up to date with their vaccinations (as of 30 June 2025).

Gerard Rushton, Chair of The Meningitis Foundation, says language and cultural connection are vital in raising awareness.

“Meningitis can affect anyone, anywhere, at any time. Making resources available in Pacific languages is a critical step in ensuring families across Aotearoa can recognise the signs and symptoms early. The sooner meningitis is detected, the better the outcomes.”

The bilingual Tongan and Samoan colouring books will be available to early childhood education centres, community health providers, and other groups who work and provide support in Pacific communities.

“Education saves lives. Our goal is that every family in New Zealand, no matter their background, has access to information that could one day protect their loved ones. These new translations are part of our commitment to equity in health education,” Mr Rushton says.

World Meningitis Day is commemorated globally each year to raise awareness of meningitis and the importance of prevention, recognition, and treatment. In New Zealand, meningococcal disease remains a serious public health issue, with Māori and Pacific communities disproportionately affected.

The Foundation is calling for continued efforts to improve vaccination uptake, increase awareness, and ensure all New Zealanders – especially vulnerable communities – have the tools they need to act quickly if meningitis strikes.

About the Meningitis Foundation – Aotearoa New Zealand

Founded in 2010 and administered by a six-strong Board of Directors, the Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa New Zealand strives to educate New Zealanders and raise their awareness of pneumococcal and meningococcal meningitis, promoting its prevention and control by:

• providing timely, accurate and credible information and educational resources to the general public and healthcare professionals
• providing a forum for friends and families affected by meningitis to connect and share their stories for mutual support and ongoing awareness of the reality of the disease
• being an active voice to support public health policy and the introduction of further vaccines to high risk groups
• supporting an increase in vaccination rates to improve New Zealand’s record for protecting children.

Data sources:

• Immunisation data taken from Te Whatu Ora website.
• Population data taken from Statistics NZ website, based on 2023 Census.
• Invasive meningococcal disease statistics from PHF Science dashboard.

Background on Health committee of New Zealand Parliament report:

On Thursday 29 June 2023, the Health committee of New Zealand Parliament released its report on The Meningitis Foundation’s petition urging the New Zealand Government to expand access to meningococcal vaccines and provide FREE vaccine for all preventable forms of meningococcal disease to ALL students in Year 11 (or at 16 years of age) before they leave school to work, study, or pursue other activities.

The petition was presented to Parliament on 31 March 2022, and was subsequently passed to the Health select committee for assessment. The Health committee assessed the petition, spoke with the Foundation and numerous stakeholders in detail to form an opinion and develop their recommendations to Parliament.

The Health committee’s ultimate recommendation was that “the House [of Representatives] take note of its report” – essentially, this means that they consider that it is a document that has importance to all Members of Parliament. In addition to this, it has urged government agencies to prioritise better public health campaigns to improve access to the vaccine.

The Meningitis Foundation’s petition also asked for the establishment of a comprehensive awareness and education program for meningococcal disease. This was recognised by the Health committee, who urged Te Whatu Ora to prioritise a better public health campaign and to investigate the introduction of prompts in practice management systems for GPs about the availability of meningococcal vaccines for eligible people.

It is encouraging that Te Whatu Ora agrees with The Meningitis Foundation that the threat of meningococcal disease is of great concern, and supports widened and equitable access to meningococcal vaccines. This extends to support for earlier protection through vaccination, prioritisation for the parts of our community who are disproportionately affected – Māori and Pasifika, and the development of a catch-up programme for all young people aged 13-25 in close living situations.

The symptoms of meningococcal meningitis in adults and children can include:

• A stiff, sore neck.
• A sensitivity to light, or a dislike of bright lights (an early warning sign of meningitis).
• A severe headache.
• If the child or adult is difficult to wake, or in a drowsy and confused state.
• A fever, sometimes accompanied by cold hands and feet.
• Aching sore joints.
• Vomiting – a common symptom of meningitis in both children and adults.
• Convulsive fits or seizures is characteristic of meningitis.

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