Today, I was delighted to welcome the Encephalitis Society to Parliament to raise awareness of this devastating condition.
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain. It is more common than motor neurone disease and bacterial meningitis, yet 80 per cent of the UK public remain unaware of the condition. There are 6,000 new cases in the UK each year with dreadful consequences for those who suffer from Encephalitis and their families.
The Encephalitis Society, based in Malton, is doing fantastic work to highlight this condition. Last year, it was recognised by Charity Times as Charity of the Year and I wanted to take the opportunity at this event to thank and congratulate them for all their hard work.
The drop-in event was attended by MPs who wanted to find out more about Encephalitis. The event also saw the launch of the fifth World Encephalitis Day campaign which falls on 22nd February each year; last year’s campaign reached 40 million people. In the run up to 22nd February, you can sign up to the BrainWalk Challenge by downloading the BrainWalk app to your smartphone. Their goal is to walk 52.8 million steps around the world by encouraging people who download the app to get moving, get people thinking and, crucially, reduce the often overwhelming sense of isolation that can follow an acquired brain injury.
I encourage anyone who suffers from Encephalitis to get in touch with this society who will be able to offer invaluable support and advice.
You can find out more from their website: encephalitis.info
Download the BrainWalk app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brainwalk.app