Global burden of acute viral hepatitis and its association with socioeconomic development status, 1990-2019.

Abstract Background & Aims Acute viral hepatitis (AVH) represents an important global health problem; however, the progress in understanding AVH is limited because of the priority of combating persistent hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus infections. Therefore, an improved understanding of the burden of AVH is required to help design strategies for global intervention. Methods Data of four major AVH types, including acute hepatitis A (AHA), AHB, AHC, and AHE, excluding AHD, were collected by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 database. Age-standardized incidence rates and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) rates of AVH were extracted from GBD 2019 and stratified by sex, level of socio-demographic index (SDI), country, and territory. The association between the burden of AVH and socioeconomic development status, as represented by the SDI, was described. Results In 2019, there was an age-standardized incidence rate of 3615.9 (95% CI 3360.5–3888.3) and an age-standardized DALYs rate of 58.0 (47.3–70.0) per 100,000 person-years, in terms of four major AVH. Among the major AVH, acute hepatitis A caused the heaviest burden. There was a significant downward trend in age-standardized DALYs rates caused by major incidences of AVH between 1990 and 2019. In 2019, regions or countries located in West and Central Africa exhibited the highest age-standardized incidence rates of four major AVH. These rates were stratified by SDI: high SDI and high-middle SDI locations recorded the lowest incidence and DALYs rates of AVH, whereas the low-middle SDI and low SDI locations showed the highest burden of AVH. Conclusions The socioeconomic development status and burden of AVH are associated. Therefore, the GBD 2019 data are valuable for policymakers to implement cost-effective interventions for AVH. Lay Summary Negative association of socioeconomic development status with burden of acute viral hepatitis was identified. Lowest burden of acute viral hepatitis noted for rich countries whereas highest burden of acute viral hepatitis noted for poor countries.