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.
Fungal Disease
Fungal pathogens — the same kingdom that includes the molds and rusts attacking your garden plants — are emerging as drug-resistant causes of meningitis in humans, signaling that fungi are growing harder to control across all of biology.
Meningitis is a dangerous brain infection that still kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, especially young children. Vaccines have helped a lot against the bacterial forms, but newer threats like drug-resistant fungi are rising. Researchers say we need stronger global health systems and more investment to finally get this disease under control.
Key Findings
In 2023, meningitis caused 259,000 deaths and 2.54 million new cases globally, with children under 5 accounting for over a third of deaths (86,600).
The four vaccine-preventable pathogens (S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, H. influenzae, Group B streptococcus) caused roughly 98,700 deaths — about 38% of the total.
Drug-resistant fungi such as Candida spp. are emerging as significant meningitis pathogens, even as bacterial meningitis has declined due to vaccination campaigns since 1990.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A global analysis found that meningitis killed 259,000 people in 2023 and caused 2.54 million new cases, with children under 5 bearing a disproportionate burden. Despite decades of progress through vaccination, the disease remains far off-track to meet WHO 2030 reduction targets.
Abstract Preview
Meningitis remains the leading infectious cause of neurological disabilities globally, disproportionately affecting children younger than 5 years and populations in the African meningitis belt. Whe...
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