Campaign for better reporting of Group B Strep infection in babies
Currently, not all GBS infections are reported, leaving too many families’ experiences uncounted. Up to a fifth of GBS infections go unreported. To address this, we collaborated with leading charities to call on the government to make group B Strep a notifiable disease and launched the “Add Your Name” campaign, sharing baby Bowen’s story to highlight the importance of this.
146 supporters wrote to their MPs and more than 300 people signed our ‘Add Your Name’ campaign.
The WHO’s Focus on GBS Meningitis
On 26 April at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the WHO held their first high-level meeting focused on meningitis. The purpose was to launch the investment case for their “Defeating Meningitis by 2030” roadmap, published in 2021 and which aims to reduce the huge burden of death and disability that meningitis causes around the world.
The meeting was attended by governments, international institutions, civil society representatives and advocates. Our CEO, Jane Plumb MBE, was in Paris for the event and highlighted the importance of global collaboration and a GBS vaccine to achieve this goal.
Group B Strep in Pregnancy & Babies Conference 2024
On 15 May, we hosted another successful conference with over 400 delegates, including midwives, doctors, and other healthcare professionals.
The conference featured powerful stories from families affected by GBS, underscoring the need for better information, antenatal testing, and awareness of the signs of signs.
Experts shared the latest research and developments, including updates on GBS vaccines and the GBS3 Trial. The day concluded with insightful panel discussions and a strong collective commitment to eradicating GBS infections in babies.
Group B Strep Awareness Month
July marked our annual Group B Strep Awareness Month. Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who helped make this a success by sharing their stories and information about GBS with friends, family, and colleagues.
We commissioned a survey that revealed that over 90% of new and expectant mothers support national testing for GBS during pregnancy, with nearly 70% saying they weren’t aware or hadn’t been told about the option of private testing for GBS in pregnancy. This highlights a critical gap we are determined to address.
New eLearning Module
In July, we launched our free, CPD-accredited e-learning module on GBS, funded by grants from the Scottish Government and Pfizer. Co-produced with experts and parents, this module aims to enhance the care of pregnant women and their babies by providing evidence-based education.
It aligns with the 2023 Core Competency Framework v2 and offers one hour of CPD credit, helping healthcare professionals meet essential training standards and ultimately save lives. Over 1376 healthcare professionals have now registered for the course and the feedback has been amazing:
“I have gone from knowing absolutely nothing about Group Strep B to feeling like I could give parents a full understanding of it should they want to know. I feel confident in knowing how to put what I have learned in this short course into real-life practice.” (Student Midwife)
Submission to Lord Darzi’s NHS Review
We submitted evidence to Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS, advocating for routine GBS screening in pregnancy. Our submission highlighted global disparities in screening approaches, showing higher infection rates in the UK compared to the USA, where a test-based strategy is used. We emphasised the preventable nature of GBS infections and the need for proactive NHS measures to save lives and reduce burdens on families and the healthcare system.
WHO’s New Guideline
The WHO released a new guideline to prevent GBS infection in newborns, marking a significant advancement in maternal and neonatal health.
Key points include:
- Universal Screening: Endorsing universal screening for pregnant women to prevent early-onset GBS disease in newborns.
- Empowering Parents: Providing clear, up-to-date information to expectant and new parents.
- Global Perspective: Aiming for practical and aspirational improvements in global health infrastructure.
- Commitment to Advocacy: Continuing efforts to make universal screening accessible even in resource-scarce regions.
Baby Loss Awareness Week During Baby Loss Awareness Week, we joined other leading pregnancy and baby charities to raise awareness of the impact of pregnancy and baby loss, highlighting the importance of bereavement support and efforts to improve pregnancy outcomes and save babies’ lives.
GBSS responds to 10 Year Health Plan for England
We called for urgent government action to address GBS infections in newborns, advocating for routine testing during pregnancy to reduce early-onset infections.
We emphasised the need for improved digital systems within the NHS to prevent missed diagnoses and improve care and suggested making GBS infections in babies a notifiable disease to enhance tracking and prevention. We stressed the importance of increasing awareness and education about GBS among healthcare professionals and parents.
Thank you
Despite challenging economic times, we are incredibly grateful for the support from individuals and organisations. Your contributions have enabled us to develop training materials for health professionals and advocate for better prevention and treatment of GBS infections in babies. We extend a huge thank you to all our supporters who participated in events, made donations, and provided regular monthly support. Every contribution, no matter its size, has made a significant difference.
