Sanofi, an NJBIA member, has joined forced with the Meningitis Research Foundation and the Confederation of Meningitis Organizations (CoMO) to launch ‘The Meningitis Flag’, a global initiative to raise awareness in the fight against meningitis.
With the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games opening in exactly one year, and with the support of para-athletes Ellie Challis (Great Britain), Théo Curin (France), and Davide Morana (Italy), this unique global campaign seeks to increase understanding of a disease that remains one of the world’s largest infectious disease killers, and yet is largely preventable.
The first of its kind, the Meningitis Flag was designed to represent the individual, the family, friends and health care professionals that support them, and the community’s collective drive to defeat meningitis.
Designed by Laura Spring, the Meningitis Flag was created by the community for the community. The flag has been a collaborative effort and co-created with para-athletes who have been affected by meningitis.
Its yellow semi-circle represents the patient, symbolizing hope and emphasizing the importance of every individual. The purple triangle signifies the care and support provided by families. Pointing upwards like an arrow, it represents the speed and positivity in the race against meningitis. The sea of blue symbolizes the calm determination of the worldwide meningitis community to defeat this disease.
“Meningitis is a hidden epidemic – quiet and insidious – but too often results in terrible consequences,” said Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson. “It is therefore urgent and imperative to accelerate the global race to defeat meningitis.
“At Sanofi, we are committed to leveraging our partnership with Paris 2024 to elevate this fight worldwide, ensuring awareness that this disease can largely be beaten through vaccine innovation. We’re incredibly proud to support the launch of the Meningitis Flag and do our part to reach the World Health Organization’s goal to defeat meningitis by 2030”.
As a premium partner of Paris 2024, Sanofi will leverage the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games momentum to visibly elevate the fight against meningitis, including support for programs that will continue well beyond the Games.
The ‘Meningitis Flag’ initiative will include out-of-home awareness messages displayed during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, in around 500 locations across Paris, close to the Paralympic sites.
Beyond Paris 2024, the flag will be a beacon for the Team Sanofi athletes, who will use it to support raising awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the fact that meningitis is largely vaccine preventable.1 Sanofi and Paris 2024 welcome other athletes and para-athletes interested in joining this initiative and flying the flag to defeat meningitis throughout the world.
