Hello! Just to let you know that we use non-essential cookies (including analytics and third party cookies) to help us understand if our website is working well and to learn what content is most useful to visitors. We also use some cookies which are essential for our platform to work and help us to provide you with the best experience possible. You can accept or reject our non-essential cookies and change your mind at any time. To learn more, please read our cookies policy.

Update cookie preferences

Encephalitis International

Encephalitis International is the only nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness, driving research, and providing support for the 500,000 people affected by encephalitis every year. Our vision is a world where encephalitis matters to everyone.

www.encephalitis.info Fundraise for us
fundraising@encephalitis.info

01653692583

Registered charity no. 1087843

Member since December 2022

About us

Encephalitis International is the third sector’s global authority on encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and the only non-profit in the world providing direct support and information to people affected by all types of encephalitis, raising awareness about the condition, and furthering our understanding of encephalitis through promoting and collaborating on research.

Everything we do is about increasing global awareness of encephalitis, saving lives, and building better futures. Our priorities, direction and activities are guided by the voice of our beneficiaries. Since our inception in 1994 we have exponentially expanded our reach and developed into a unique global resource for people all over the world directly affected by encephalitis, their family members, those left bereaved by the condition, and the scientific, medical and health professionals supporting them.

Our Vision is a world where encephalitis matters to everyone.

Our Mission is to build better futures by driving research, accelerating awareness, and saving lives.

What Do we Do? Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain - a complex condition that affects people in different ways. The Encephalitis Society meets needs in the following three areas - identified through serving the global community of people affected by encephalitis for over 25 years, listening to their experiences, and working with our expert panel of scientists, researchers, and physicians:

  1. SUPPORT AND CONNECTION: We provide expert support to individuals directly affected by encephalitis and their family and friends. This includes providing information about encephalitis; emotional, mental health, clinical and even legal support; a helpline which can be accessed via telephone, email, video call or online chat; and signposting to further professional support. We also connect people with others similarly affected, in person and virtually, enabling people affected to share their experiences with others who are going through the same as they are. Our support services and connection activities aim to improve the quality of life of people affected directly and indirectly by encephalitis by enhancing understanding of their or their loved-one’s condition, improving mental health, increasing confidence and emotional-resilience, and reducing isolation and loneliness.

  2. AWARENESS: Eight out of 10 people around the world have never head of encephalitis despite it having a higher incidence in many countries than bacterial meningitis, motor neurone disease (ALS) or multiple sclerosis. It is essential more people know about the condition and recognise the symptoms - both play an important role in prompting people to seek immediate live-saving medical help. We raise awareness of encephalitis among people affected, the general public, policy makers and medical and health professionals through large awareness raising campaigns, such as our global, annual campaign: World Encephalitis Day, through which we have reached 294 million people since its launch in 2014.

  3. RESEARCH AND EXPERTISE: We promote, fund, and collaborate on research into encephalitis to accelerate our understanding of why encephalitis happens and how to improve outcomes and treatments for those affected. Our research work is guided by our Scientific Advisory Panel of leading experts in neurology, clinical practice, and research. We also work to ensure individuals, organisations and health professionals are accurately informed and using best practice in all stages of encephalitis.

“My reason for supporting the Encephalitis Society is because of the advice it offered on how to come to terms with the aftereffects. My mantra has been that the medics saved my life and the Encephalitis Society restored my will to live.” (Supporter, 6/9/2021)

Our award-winning, life-saving work has never been more important. As we see ever-more new and emerging infections that cause encephalitis: over one million cases of encephalitis as a result of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic; two percent of monkeypox cases confirmed as encephalitis; outbreaks of encephalitis in new territories such as that of Japanese Encephalitis in Australia since March 2022.