Faezeh Abbaspour

60317983600

Publications - 1

Global, regional, and national burden of meningitis, its risk factors, and aetiologies, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023

Usha Adiga Emad M. Abdallah Dariush Abtahi Meriem Abdoun Eman Abu-Gharbieh Anirudh Balakrishna Acharya Mohd Adnan Mitra Abbasifard Victor Adekanmbi Asrat Agalu Abejew Oyelola A. Adegboye Samar Abd ElHafeez Jeza Muhamad Abdul Aziz Muhammad Sohail Afzal Nermeen Abu-Elala Auwal Abdullahi Khurshid Ahmad Rana Kamal Abu Farha Isaac Yeboah Addo Ahmad Y. Abuhelwa Nadin M.I. Abdel Razeq Sherief Abd-Elsalam Swetha Acharya Williams Agyemang-Duah Samir Abu Rumeileh Lucien R. Swetschinski Juliana Bunmi Adetunji Lisa C. Adams Fuad Hamdi A. Abuadas Madineh Abbasi Ali Ahmadi Omar Ahmed Abdelwahab Bright Opoku Ahinkorah Nurudeen A. Adegoke Ayman Ahmed Negar Sadat Ahmadi Rezheen Fatah Abdulrahman Danish Ahmad Meshack Achore Olumide Thomas Adeleke Olifan Zewdie Abil Armita Abedi Dina Abushanab Sawsan Abuhammad Mostafa M. Abdrabou Eve E. Wool David Adedia Kamoru Ademola Adedokun Muayyad M. Ahmad Aqeel Ahmad Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani Miracle Ayomikun Adesina Hedayat Abbastabar Tauseef Ahmad Avina Vongpradith Mohammed Altigani Abdalla Temitayo Esther Adeyeoluwa Atman Adiba Chieh Han Sajjad Ahmad Gasha Salih Ahmed Aanuoluwapo Adeyimika Afolabi Rose Grace Bender Giuseppina Affinito Sepehr Aghajanian Richard Gyan Aboagye Rahim Abo Kasem Mohammad Amin Aalipour Sarah Brooke Sirota Rizwan Suliankatchi Abdulkader Ahmed A.J. Jabbar Ridwan Olamilekan Adesola Arman Abdous Nagah M. Abourashed Toufik Abdul-Rahman Prince Owusu Adoma Gizachew Beykaso Agafari Regina Mae Villanueva Dominguez Hana J. Abukhadijah Abdullahi Tunde Aborode Ibrahim Banaru Abubakar Mehrunnisha Sharif Ahmed Sepideh Ahmadi Amir Mahmoud Ahmadzade Daniel T. Araki Hassan Abolhassani Aminu Kende Abubakar Idowu Peter Adewumi Faisal Ahmad Syed Hani Abidi Amanda Movo Hasan Aalruz Haroon Ahmed Faezeh Abbaspour Krishna Prasad Acharya Suhaib Ahmad Zhanar Abu Abisola Esther Abdulmalik Olumide Abiodun Saira Afzal

Publication Name: Lancet Neurology

Publication Date: 2026-05-01

Volume: 25

Issue: 5

Page Range: 451-468

Description:

Background: Meningitis remains the leading infectious cause of neurological disabilities globally, disproportionately affecting children younger than 5 years and populations in the African meningitis belt. Whereas previous global estimates focused on ten pathogen categories, this study presents the most comprehensive analysis to date, assessing the meningitis burden attributable to 17 causative pathogens based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 framework. Methods: GBD is a systematic, scientific effort aimed at quantifying the comparative magnitude of health loss caused by diseases, injuries, and risk factors across age groups, sexes, and geographical locations over time. We estimated meningitis mortality using the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm) and morbidity using DisMod-MR 2.1, incorporating data from vital registration, verbal autopsy, surveillance, hospital data, and systematic reviews. Aetiology-specific estimates were generated with pathogen-linked case-fatality ratios and splined binomial regression models. Risk factor attribution was based on established risk–outcome pairs and population attributable fractions. Findings: In 2023, there were 259 000 (95% uncertainty interval 202 000–335 000) global deaths and 2·54 million (2·20–2·93) incident cases of meningitis. Children younger than 5 years accounted for more than a third of deaths (86 600 [53 300–149 000]). Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, non-polio enteroviruses, and other viruses were the leading causes of death, while non-polio enteroviruses caused the most cases. The four WHO-defined preventable meningitis pathogens of interest (S pneumoniae, N meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Group B streptococcus) contributed to 98 700 deaths (77 000–127 000) and 594 000 cases (514 000–686 000). Low birthweight, short gestation, and household air pollution were the top risk factors for meningitis-related mortality. Interpretation: Although mortality and incidence have declined significantly since 1990, progress is insufficient to meet WHO 2030 targets. Despite marked progress in reducing bacterial meningitis via global vaccination campaigns, a substantial meningitis burden persists, attributable both to common pathogens such as S pneumoniae and N meningitidis and to emerging non-bacterial pathogens such as Candida spp and drug-resistant fungi. Achieving WHO goals will require sustained investment in surveillance, vaccination, maternal screening, and health-system strengthening, especially in high-burden settings. Funding: Gates Foundation, Wellcome Trust, and UK Department of Health and Social Care.

Open Access: Yes

DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(26)00101-8