HC Deb 20 December 1988 vol 144 c236W
Mr. Holt

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths due to meningitis have been recorded in each of the past five years.

Mr. Freeman

Meningitis may be caused by many different organisms. I assume that my hon. Friend is interested particularly in meningococcal meningitis, and the table gives the number of deaths from this cause.

Number of deaths registered with underlying cause assigned as meningococcal meningitis (ICD(9)1 036.0). Persons, all ages England and Wales between 1983 and 1988
Year Number of deaths
1983 20
1984 26
1985 36
1986 44
1987 37
21988 21
1 International Classification of Diseases 9th revision.
2 Provisional, January to June only.

Note: Due to a change in the coding rules, deaths prior to 1984 may not strictly be comparable with those of later years.

Figures from 1986 exclude deaths at ages under 28 days.