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October 2009 - The Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) held its 4th Annual Members Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Sha Tin, Hong Kong on 3rd - 5th October 2009.
CoMO, already active in The Americas, and Europe, is strengthening its reach across Asia Pacific to unite the globe in the fight against meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning).
This is the first time that CoMO has held a conference in the Asia Pacific region and by hosting the conference in Hong Kong, connected delegates and healthcare professionals from Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand and India with organisations and individuals from the USA, Canada and Europe.
The Hong Kong location was also significant, as its Government was the first in Asia to include a conjugate vaccine for Invasive Pneumococcal Disease (a manifestation of which is meningitis) to their Childhood Immunisation Program.
The conference brought together world class childhood health and immunisation specialists, meningitis organisations and patient groups who are actively working to raise public awareness of meningitis, to support survivors and educate all parents as to the signs and symptoms of meningitis and the appropriate actions to take. The conference was attended by delegates from 14 organisations, who, along with guests of CoMO, represented 16 countries.
The theme of the conference was regional development and working together. The program included expert updates on meningitis across the world, along with the development and distribution of vaccines. There were also workshops and discussion groups on topics relevant to both developing and established meningitis organisations and advocacy groups. There was even time for delegates to meet old friends and make new ones at the Welcome reception and Conference dinner as well as during some impromptu visits to downtown Hong Kong when the work of the day was done.
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