IDDF2024-ABS-0423 Global, national and regional burden of digestive congenital anomalies and its trend in 204 countries and territories from 1990-2021: a benchmarking global analysis

<h3>Background</h3> Digestive Congenital Anomalies (DCA) rank as the fourth leading cause of death and disability among all congenital anomalies. This pioneering study examines the burden of DCA over the last three decades, including the initial two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly challenged the management of non-COVID cases. <h3>Methods</h3> Utilizing the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) framework, we estimated the incidence, prevalence, Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), and Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) by age, sex, year, and location across 204 countries and territories from 1990-2021. Non-fatal health outcomes were analyzed using DISMOD MR 2.1, a meta-regression tool, while fatal outcomes were assessed with the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm). <h3>Results</h3> The total number of DCA cases rose from 2.9 million (95% Uncertainty Interval [UI]: 2.3-3.5) in 1990 to 3.2 million (UI: 2.6-3.8) in 2021. There was an 11% increase (UI: 3%-21%) in YLDs from 1990 to 2021 (IDDF2024-ABS-0423 Figure 1). Regionally, Oceania observed the highest TPC increase in incidence counts by 131% (UI: 102%-163%), and the highest increase in deaths by 83%, followed by Western Sub-Saharan Africa at 65%, while other regions saw decreases (IDDF2024-ABS-0423 Figure 2, IDDF2024-ABS-0423 Figure 3, IDDF2024-ABS-0423 Figure 4). Countries with a low Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) recorded the highest rise in incidence counts by 44%, followed by deaths at 17% and YLDs at 74%. Males exhibited a generally higher burden than females, with YLDs increasing by 14% in males versus 18% in females. <h3>Conclusions</h3> In 2021, DCAs accounted for 9.13% of all deaths from congenital defects. Effective management of DCA from a public health perspective should focus on enhancing prenatal care, promoting genetic counseling, and improving neonatal services. From a clinical perspective, early diagnosis and personalized treatment plans are crucial. Patients and their families would benefit from greater access to support services and information about managing DCA to improve their quality of life.