TUESDAY, March 31, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- In 2023, there were 259,000 global deaths and 2.54 million incident cases of meningitis, according to a study published online March 27 in The Lancet Neurology.
Sarah Brooke Sirota, from the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues estimated meningitis mortality using the Cause of Death Ensemble model and morbidity using DisMod-MR 2.1 to examine the meningitis burden attributable to 17 causative pathogens based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2023 framework.
The researchers identified 259,000 global deaths and 2.54 million incident cases of meningitis in 2023. More than one-third of deaths were accounted for by children younger than 5 years (86,600 deaths). The leading causes of death were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, non-polio enteroviruses, and other viruses, while the most cases were caused by non-polio enteroviruses. The four World Health Organization-defined preventable meningitis pathogens of interest contributed to 98,700 deaths and 594,000 cases. The top factors for meningitis-related mortality were low birthweight, short gestation, and household air pollution.
"Targeted investment in WHO pillars, including expanded vaccination coverage, new vaccine development, antibiotic stewardship, region-specific outbreak preparedness, and advances in treatment access and equity, could help to prevent disability and mortality caused by meningitis," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.