In 2023, 259,000 people worldwide will die from meningitis and 2.5 million people will be infected with the disease, a study published in 2016 suggests. Lancet Neurology. Although mortality and infection rates have fallen significantly since 1990, progress is insufficient to meet the WHO’s goals of reducing infections by 50% and deaths by 70% by 2030.
Meningitis is the leading infectious cause of neurological disorders worldwide. Since 2000, the global rollout of vaccines has significantly reduced infections and deaths in both high- and low-income countries, but progress has lagged compared to other vaccine-preventable diseases.
This study provides the most comprehensive overall assessment of meningitis to date. It suggests that 259,000 people will die from meningitis and 2.5 million people will become infected with meningitis worldwide in 2023, with the biggest risk factors for death being low birth weight, followed by preterm birth and air pollution (both in the home and in the air). The burden of disease remained disproportionately high in low-income countries, particularly in the African meningitis belt, where Nigeria, Chad, and Niger recorded the highest mortality and infection rates. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, non-polio enteroviruses, and other viruses were the leading causes of death, with non-polio enteroviruses causing the most cases.
The authors say further efforts are essential to achieve further reductions in the disease globally, including expanding vaccination programs, strengthening antibiotic stewardship, improving access to treatment, and strengthening meningitis diagnosis and monitoring.
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Reference magazines:
SB Shirota others. (2026). Global, regional, and national burden of meningitis, its risk factors, and etiology, 1990–2023: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. lancet neurology. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(26)00101-8. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(26)00101-8/abstract
