The report, titled “Global burden of lower respiratory infections and aetiologies, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023,” estimated that such infections also caused nearly 99 million years of life lost due to premature death or disability last year.

The study found that mortality among children under five has fallen by one-third since 2010, largely due to expanded vaccination programmes. However, researchers said pneumonia is increasingly becoming a disease concentrated at two ends of the age spectrum: young children and adults over 70.

The heaviest burden now falls on older people, who currently experience the highest death rates from lower respiratory tract infections worldwide.

“For Poland, this means the need to move away from a model focused solely on paediatrics and adopt a strategy aimed simultaneously at children and the elderly. Population-wide prevention throughout the entire life cycle should be the priority, not just the treatment of acute episodes’, emphasises Mieszko Więckiewicz, a co-author of the publication and head of the Department of Experimental Dentistry at the Medical University of Wrocław.

Researchers said vaccinations against pneumococci and Haemophilus influenzae type b infection have played a major role in reducing childhood mortality. They also pointed to new preventive measures against Respiratory Syncytial Virus, including monoclonal antibodies and vaccines, as promising developments.

The report noted, however, that access to vaccines and preventive treatments remains uneven, particularly in low-income countries.

The same problem affects older adults, despite seniors being among the groups at highest risk. Vaccination coverage against pneumococci and influenza remains insufficient in many regions, the study said.

Streptococcus pneumoniae infections were identified as the leading cause of deaths linked to lower respiratory tract infections worldwide.

Researchers analysed 26 groups of pathogens, including 11 modelled for the first time, allowing for a broader understanding of the causes of lung infections.

“The authors also demonstrate the brutal geography of inequality. The highest death rates persist in countries of sub-Saharan Africa. This is where it is most evident that pneumonia is not just a biological problem. It is also a disease of poverty, poor access to care, inadequate vaccination schemes, limited diagnostics, and delayed treatment. In wealthier countries, pneumonia can be a serious medical event. In poorer parts of the world, it remains a death sentence for many children’, the release said. (PAP)

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