About the EMGM

The European Meningococcal Disease Society (EMGM Society, www.emgm.eu) was founded in June 2005 as a forum for collaboration between the European Reference Laboratories for Meningococci and infectious disease epidemiologists. The EMGM society succeeded the previous European Monitoring Group on Meningococci, which for many years provided Europe with epidemiological data on meningococcal disease. On the basis of the most successful activities of the European National Meningococcal Reference laboratories and the Epidemiology Units within the EMGM it is now extended to the H.influenazae invasive diseases.

The Society is a non-profit making organisation of individuals dedicated to the reduction of the burden of invasive bacterial diseases due to N. meningitidis and H. influenzae by the pursuit of scientific knowledge in the fields.

The Society has the objective of supporting non-commercial national and international bodies as follows:

promotion of clinical microbiological laboratory work and epidemiology as well as research, teaching, training, quality assurance/control, diagnosis, strain characterisation, pathogenesis, immunogenicity, prevention, impact of vaccination strategies and therapy of disease including antimicrobial susceptibility testing and prescribing policy, infection control and good laboratory practice, and other basic and clinical aspects of infection and immunity.

The Society shall provide expert opinions on subjects defined within or outside the Society in the fields of its activities.

The following persons are invited as full members:

• Professional representatives of European national reference laboratories for meningococci, or equivalent.
• Professional representatives for the European national epidemiological surveillance bodies, or equivalent.
• Clinicians who have specific scientific interest in the field of meningococcal disease.
• Other persons who because of their interest, experience, competence and/or position are involved in the field of meningococcal disease and who work in hospitals, governmental, educational or non-profit organisations. Such a person must have an educational qualification of at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in microbiology or a related field.
• Graduate students of microbiology, epidemiology, public health, medicine, infectious diseases, paediatrics or a related field with a special interest in meningococcal issues are eligible to become a student member. Student members pay a reduced fee to the Society, but have the same rights as full members.
• The membership is also open for commercial companies or other organisations, as well as individual persons working within these, who wish to have close ties to the Society and to take part of defined activities of the Society, but without voting rights.

Application for membership will be addressed to the Secretary of the Executive Board. The Executive Board takes the decision on membership.