World Encephalitis Day
Friday, 4 October 2013
The Encephalitis Society today announced the inaugural ‘World Encephalitis Day.’ The annual event will take place on the 22nd February each year in the hopes of raising awareness of the rare brain disorder.
The Encephalitis Society CEO, Ava Easton said “We’re incredibly proud to be able to share this news with our supporters and the public. With new cases estimated at 5,500 per year in England alone, it’s vitally important that we enable as many people as possible to access our comprehensive information. We will be holding a flagship event in Liverpool along with our partner organisations and we will continue to provide updates via the official website at www.worldencephalitisday.org.”
The Malton based charity is currently the only resource of its kind in the world, providing information, support, awareness and research on Encephalitis. It is hoped that this new initiative will help shed light on the devastating consequences of Encephalitis.
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain, usually cause by an infection or by the autoimmune system erroneously attacking the brain. Encephalitis is indiscriminate, showing no respect for age, sex or nationality. Even with treatment, mortality rates are between 10-30%. Many people are left with an acquired brain injury meaning they have cognitive, physical, emotional, behavioural and social problems as a result. The nature of this hidden disability often means that people’s needs are not recognised or met.
To be a part of World Encephalitis Day, register online at www.worldencephalitisday.org
Contact matthew@encephalitis.info or call 01653 602073 for more details.