Sir - I am writing with reference to Alison O'Connor's article of January 22nd, entitled "Teenager's death is fourth meningitis fatality in EHB area this year".
The article raised certain salient points in relation to the health issues associated with the illness, and refers to a call for a national communicable diseases centre to monitor illnesses such as meningitis. The Union of Students in Ireland endorses this call, and we wish to add a suggestion of our own.
The director of public health, Dr Brian O'Herlihy, noted that incidences of meningitis were not solely confined to young children but occurred in all age groups". This creates the need for a targeted health information campaign, directed at specific sectors of the population.
We wish to make a case for the publication of a Department of Health leaflet, for circulation amongst our vast student and young populations, many of whom cannot afford basic medical check ups and are ignorant of the symptoms of meningitis. Indeed, our figures show that in the seven universities, the ratio of GP to student is 1:8,700 (Dr D. Thomas, HEA conference, 1714196), which is similar to having one GP responsible for the town Dungarvan. The success of previous health information campaigns on issues such as safe sex are also a case in point.
We at USI would be available to undertake such a campaign to the youth of Ireland on the dangers of meningitis, in a youth friendly manner. An exercise such as this will alert the population and help to fulfill the aim of prevention. USI hopes that the meningitis issue will not become another example of the tendency of politicians to react only after a tragedy has occurred.- Yours, etc.,
President,
Aontas na Macleinn in Eirinn (Union of Students in Ireland),
1-2 Aston Place,
Temple Bar,
Dublin 2.