Objective:

To analyze the influence of sociodemographic index (SDI) on variation in meningitis mortality rate over a 30-year period.

Background:

Meningitis is an infectious neurological disease with a significant global impact. It causes inflammation of the meninges and can lead to permanent disabilities. The Defeating Meningitis by 2030 roadmap, created by the World Health Organization, aims to reduce vaccine-preventable meningitis by 50% and deaths by 70%. Despite ongoing efforts and achievements, global initiatives may encounter variations across different socioeconomic environments, which could impede their objectives.

Design/Methods:

A retrospective, ecological study was performed using data obtained from Global Burden of Disease (GBD 2023), from the period 1993 to 2023. Linear regression was used to evaluate the influence of time and SDI category (Low, Middle and High-middle) on meningitis mortality rate, using low SDI group as the reference.

Results:

A significant temporal trend was observed with the mortality rate decreasing by an average of 0.288 deaths per 100,000 people per year (p <0.001). Socio-demographic status was the most powerful predictor of mortality rates. Compared to the low SDI, the middle SDI group was associated with an average reduction of 15.28 (-66.3%) deaths per 100,000 people in the mortality rate, while the high-middle SDI group was associated with a reduction of 16.63 (-72.2%) deaths (p < 0.001). The linear regression model demonstrated high predictive capacity (adjusted R² = 0.936; F-test p<0.0001).

Conclusions:

Despite a continuous global decline in meningitis mortality rate over the past years, it is noticeable that the progress has been unequal. Low SDI countries have shown a slower rate of reduction and it addresses persistent disparities in access to prevention, diagnoses, and care in cases of meningitis.