Meningitis Foundation New Zealand Podcast

We aim to educate and inform New Zealanders about meningitis and septicaemia and the diseases that cause them – pneumococcal disease and meningococcal disease. In 2018 there were 120 confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in New Zealand, and 10 people died. Across the series, recorded in late April 2019, we talk with individuals who have survived meningitis and families who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a loved one to meningitis. We also talk with medical professionals and government representatives about the disease, the 2018 epidemic in Northland, and the available vaccines. For more information go to www.meningitis.org.nz or follow us on facebook.

Dr Talemaitoga is a GP, currently working between Christchurch and Manukau, Auckland. He has a wealth of experience working with people in New Zealand as well as around the Pacific. He previously held the position of Chief Advisor for Pacific Health and Clinical Director Community Health Service Improvement within the Ministry of Health. In this discussion, we focus on the disproportionately high impact of meningococcal disease on our Maori and Pacific Island communities and the strategies that are necessary to protect our loved ones.