1990 - 2021年儿童脑膜炎全球负担：来自《2021年全球疾病负担研究》的分析

Global burden of meningitis in children, 1990-2021: an analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

作者信息

Zhang Zichen, Liu Taixiang, Qian Ruiying, Zhu Yuanyuan, Yuan Tianming

机构信息

Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China.

Department of NICU, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China.

出版信息

Transl Pediatr. 2025 Aug 31;14(8):1854-1865. doi: 10.21037/tp-2025-315. Epub 2025 Aug 27.

DOI:10.21037/tp-2025-315

PMID:40949916

原文链接:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12433107/

Abstract

BACKGROUND

() meningitis is a life-threatening infection in young children, characterized by rapid progression, severe complications, and high mortality. However, large-scale epidemiological research on its global burden remains limited. This study aims to systematically assess the global burden of meningitis in children aged 0-14 years from 1990 to 2021.

METHODS

We utilized data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease study to extract mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to meningitis across 204 countries and regions from 1990 to 2021. The dataset was stratified by age, sex, year, and sociodemographic index (SDI), facilitating a comprehensive subgroup analysis. Percentage change and average annual percentage change (AAPC) were employed to evaluate long-term trends in disease burden. Furthermore, frontier analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between socio-economic development and disease control.

RESULTS

In 2021, the global burden of meningitis in children under 14 years old included 5,387 deaths and 474,378 DALYs. From 1990 to 2021, the global burden of meningitis in children declined significantly. The overall number of deaths and DALYs decreased by 56.8% [95% uncertainty interval (UI): -67.5% to -42.0%] and 56.9% (95% UI: -67.5% to -42.2%), with lower rates in females than males. Age-stratified analysis revealed that meningitis mortality peaked among infants (<1 year) than other age groups. At the regional level, Western Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest rates of mortality and DALYs. Significant inverse correlations were identified between the burden of meningitis and SDI. Frontier analysis further validated that higher SDI enhanced capacity for burden reduction.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite declining global trends, meningitis persists as a public health threat, particularly affecting young children and populations in low-SDI regions. Targeted interventions, including food safety improvements, diagnostic advancements, accessible treatments and financial assistance, are urgently needed in resource-limited regions.

摘要

背景

（）脑膜炎是幼儿中一种危及生命的感染性疾病，其特点是进展迅速、并发症严重且死亡率高。然而，关于其全球负担的大规模流行病学研究仍然有限。本研究旨在系统评估1990年至2021年期间0至14岁儿童脑膜炎的全球负担。

方法

我们利用2021年全球疾病负担研究的数据，提取了1990年至2021年期间204个国家和地区归因于脑膜炎的死亡率和伤残调整生命年（DALYs）。数据集按年龄、性别、年份和社会人口指数（SDI）进行分层，便于进行全面的亚组分析。采用百分比变化和平均年度百分比变化（AAPC）来评估疾病负担的长期趋势。此外，进行前沿分析以评估社会经济发展与疾病控制之间的关系。

结果

2021年，14岁以下儿童脑膜炎的全球负担包括5387例死亡和474378个DALYs。从1990年到2021年，儿童脑膜炎的全球负担显著下降。死亡总数和DALYs分别下降了56.8%[95%不确定区间（UI）：-67.5%至-42.0%]和56.9%（95%UI：-67.5%至-42.2%），女性下降幅度低于男性。年龄分层分析显示，婴儿（<1岁）的脑膜炎死亡率高于其他年龄组。在区域层面，撒哈拉以南非洲西部地区的死亡率和DALYs最高。脑膜炎负担与SDI之间存在显著的负相关。前沿分析进一步证实，较高的SDI增强了减轻负担的能力。