[Burden of disease due to bacterial meningitis, Cuba 2006].

INTRODUCTION: bacterial meningitis is a real concern for physicians and general health systems of any country as well as the international bodies.

OBJECTIVE: to estimate burdens of disease from morbidity and mortality caused by bacterial meningitis in Cuba during 2006.

METHODS: the mortality and the incidence data of the epidemiological survey from the National Surveillance of Bacterial Meningitis of "Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine were used. The estimation methods were based on the WHO recommendations by using the DISMOD and the required Excel spreadsheets.

RESULTS: the global burden of bacterial meningitis was estimated at a total of 3527.26 Disability Adjusted Lost Years (DALYs), which accounted for 31.3 years lost per 100 000 inhabitants. Morbidity and mortality burden of bacterial meningitis without sequel weighing was 2056.25 disability adjusted lost years, being the 55.9 % caused by unidentified agent, followed by S. pneumoniae (30.9 %), N. meningitidis (9.5 %) and H influenza type b (3.6 %). The mortality burden was 2 039 years of life lost from premature death, that is, 57.8 % of the global burden. Children under five years of age contributed the biggest global burden of disability adjusted lost years, and S. penumoniae generated the biggest burden.

CONCLUSION: the burden of bacterial meningitis was high. Burden of disease is an important measure to assess health problems.