Cheltenham’s MP, Alex Chalk, has this week signed up to support the fight against meningitis by becoming a Meningitis Now Futures Builder.
In becoming a Futures Builder, Mr Chalk joins parliamentary colleagues across the UK in a bid to rid the country of this devastating disease. He has committed to supporting Meningitis Now in its drive to raise awareness and support local people and their communities where there have been cases of meningitis.
Having pledged his support, Cheltenham’s man in Westminster said:
“2015 is a landmark year in the fight against meningitis. The vaccination of all newborn babies against meningococcal B (Men B) from September made the UK the first country in the world to offer this protection as part of a national health service - a move that could potentially prevent more than 4,000 cases of Men B over the next decade.
“But the battle against this disease is not over. Meningitis has not gone away, nor is it likely to go away in the near future. It remains a real and present threat which makes the charity’s ongoing campaigns around awareness and providing support for those who have contracted the disease, really important. I support and endorse the work of Meningitis Now and will do whatever I can to help them achieve their aims”.
Sue Davie, Meningitis Chief Executive, said:
“We really value Alex’s support and welcome his commitment to assisting our charity drive towards into aims. MPs are uniquely placed to influence the way policy makers and health professionals think about meningitis and we look forward to working with them as we continue the battle against this truly awful disease.’’