Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep-Oct;37(5):527-535.
doi: 10.20524/aog.2024.0909. Epub 2024 Aug 19.

Inflammatory bowel disease burden in the Middle East and North Africa Region: a comprehensive analysis of incidence, prevalence, and mortality from 1990-2019

Saqr Alsakarneh  1 , Mohamed Ahmed  2 , Fouad Jaber  1 , Mohammad Abuassi  3 , Fadi H Mourad  4 , Fadi F Francis  5 , Kassem Barada  4 , Rami Tfayli  4 , Badr Al-Bawardy  6   7   8 , Francis A Farraye  9 , Jana G Hashash  9
Affiliations

Inflammatory bowel disease burden in the Middle East and North Africa Region: a comprehensive analysis of incidence, prevalence, and mortality from 1990-2019

Saqr Alsakarneh et al. Ann Gastroenterol. 2024 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Background: The epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has changed rapidly in recent years. Objective data concerning the IBD burden in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is limited. We aimed to provide a systematic report on the IBD burden in the MENA region. Additionally, we aimed to study the age- and sex-specific trends in IBD incidence, prevalence and mortality rates from 1990-2019.

Methods: Using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 Study Database, we investigated the changes in incidence, prevalence and mortality rate, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), at a regional and country level between 1990 and 2019.

Results: In 2019, there were 282,534 cases (95% confidence interval [CI] 239,506-334,478) of IBD in the MENA region (50.5% male). There was an overall increase in the incidence and prevalence rates of IBD in the MENA region from 1990 to 2019, while a simultaneous decrease in overall mortality rates was identified. Incidence rates were highest in Jordan, at 6.9 (95%CI 5.8-8.1) per 100,000, and lowest in Morocco, at 1.6 (95%CI 1.4-2) per 100,000. From 1990-2019, the incidence was found increased in males at a higher rate than in females. The age-standardized mortality rate decreased for both sexes by 24% from 1990-2019.

Conclusion: The trends and geographic variations in IBD within the MENA region provide policymakers with vital information for making informed decisions in policy, research, and investment, thereby enabling the development of more effective strategies and better allocation of resources.

Keywords: Inflammatory bowel disease; Middle East and North Africa; epidemiology; trend.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: FAF: AbbVie, Avalo Therapeutics, BMS, Braintree Labs, Fresenius Kabi, GI Reviewers, GSK, IBD Educational Group, Iterative Health, Janssen, Pharmacosmos, Pfizer, Sandoz Immunology, Sebela, Viatris. DSMB: Lilly. JGH: Advisory Board for BMS. Other authors have no conflict of interest

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A) Age-standardized incidence rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) per 100,000 population in 2019. (B) Percentage change (%) in age-standardized incidence rates of IBD between 1990 and 2019
Figure 2
Figure 2
(A) Sex-specific trends of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) age-standardized incidence rates. (B) Age-specific trends of IBD age-standardized incidence rates
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A) Age-standardized prevalence rate of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) per 100,000 population in 2019. (B) Percentage change (%) in age-standardized prevalence rates of IBD between 1990 and 2019
Figure 4
Figure 4
(A) Sex-specific trends of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) age-standardized prevalence rates. (B) Age-specific trends of IBD age-standardized prevalence rates
Figure 5
Figure 5
(A) Age-standardized mortality rate of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) per 100,000 population in 2019. (B) Percentage change (%) in age-standardized mortality rates of IBD between 1990 and 2019
Figure 6
Figure 6
(A) Sex-specific trends of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) age-standardized mortality rates. (B) Age-specific trends of IBD age-standardized mortality rates
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Xu F, Carlson SA, Liu Y, Greenlund KJ. Prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease among medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries - United States, 2001-2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70:698–701. - PMC - PubMed
    1. GBD 2017 Inflammatory Bowel Disease Collaborators. The global, regional, and national burden of inflammatory bowel disease in 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017:a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020;5:17–30. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Park J, Jeong GH, Song M, et al. The global, regional, and national burden of inflammatory bowel diseases, 1990-2019:A systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2019. Dig Liver Dis. 2023;55:1352–1359. - PubMed
    1. Singh S, Qian AS, Nguyen NH, et al. Trends in U. S. health care spending on inflammatory bowel diseases, 1996-2016. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2022;28:364–372. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Burisch J, Zhao M, Odes S, et al. The cost of inflammatory bowel disease in high-income settings:a Lancet Gastroenterology &Hepatology Commission. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023;8:458–492. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources