Families affected by group B Strep have been a powerful force in advancing the prevention of group B Strep infection in babies, most notably in the USA and the UK. Families sharing how GBS has affected them is vital in demonstrating the need for change. This track will present the experiences of advocacy in the US and the UK, plus looking at advocacy in low and middle income settings and the experience of families of group B Strep. We will explore how advocacy for better prevention of GBS infection is central to change, what that can look like in a range of settings and discuss some of the barriers.
| Intro: Jane Plumb |
| Joint presentation (20 min): S1: Dr Carol Baker Title: The USA & especially medical advocacy (10 mins) S2: Jane Plumb Title: The UK and predominantly parent advocacy (10 mins) |
| Hearing from low and middle-income settings (20 mins) S3: Dr Hannah Davies Title: Caregiver Experiences of Group B Streptococcus in Uganda (10 min) S4: Ms Sam Nye, Network Lead, Confederation of Meningitis Organisations Title: Advocacy in low and middle income settings (10 min) |
| Panel Discussion (25 min): With Dr Carol J Baker, Dr Hannah Davies, Sam Nye, Jane Plumb, Plus Kallie Hess & Debbie Forwood |
| S5: Jaya Chandna (Research Fellow) Title: Risk of psychiatric disorders in mothers after giving birth to a child with invasive GBS disease (7 min) |
| S6: Grace Raybould (Co-Author Kate Walker) Title: Impact of late-onset group B streptococcus infection on families: an observational study (7 min) |
| Closing Comments by Jane Plumb (5 min) |