This document is intended to serve as a reference for national public health policy-makers. It outlines the scope of potential meningitis surveillance strategies that make it possible to obtain the data required for epidemic detection, monitoring of epidemiological and microbiological trends, evaluation of meningitis control strategies and assessment of the impact of Nm A conjugate vaccine. Ultimately, it provides information that can be used to decide on a surveillance strategy that is tailored to the needs and capacity of a country.