LONDON, March 27 (V7N) –  More than a quarter of a million people worldwide die from meningitis each year, according to a major new study published Saturday, following a recent outbreak of the disease in the UK.  

Children accounted for a third of the deaths, many of which occurred in Africa, said the research, which described itself as the most comprehensive global assessment of meningitis to date. 

The study, published in Lancet Neurology, comes after meningitis made headlines when two people died during an outbreak believed to have spread at a nightclub in southeast England earlier this month. More than 10,000 people in Kent have since been vaccinated.  

Meningitis is an inflammation of tissues around the brain and spinal cord caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites. Bacterial infections are rarer but more deadly than viral ones.  

Despite vaccines reducing cases since 2000, the US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimated 259,000 deaths worldwide in 2023. The “African meningitis belt,” stretching from Senegal to Ethiopia, recorded the highest rates, with Nigeria, Chad, and Niger particularly hard hit.  

The study identified low birthweight, premature birth, and air pollution as major risk factors. It also warned that the World Health Organization (WHO) is unlikely to meet its 2030 target of cutting bacterial meningitis cases by 50 percent and deaths by 70 percent from 2015 levels. Current declines are only half the pace required.  

“Accelerated efforts—including expanding immunisation, improving access to care, and strengthening diagnostics and surveillance—are essential to achieve these targets,” the study said.  

Researchers cautioned that many deaths go unreported, particularly in developing countries, meaning figures may be underestimated. The study drew on data from the Global Burden of Disease project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  

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