Fatal and Non-fatal Health Outcomes of Congenital Musculoskeletal and Limb Anomalies Among Infants in Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa, From 1990 to 2023
Sebsibe Tadesse, Hiwot Hailu Amare, Teshome Gensa Geta, Abadi Kidanemariam Berhe, Boko Loka Safayi, Miesa Gelchu, Anteneh FikrieBackground
Despite strategies and policies, congenital musculoskeletal and limb anomalies (CMLAs) remain a public health issue for infants in low-income countries. However, the true burden of these anomalies is not well documented in resource-limited settings.
Objective
This study aimed to quantify the non-fatal and fatal health impacts of CMLAs in the Eastern Sub-Saharan African (ESSA) region from 1990 to 2023.
Methods
The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) 2023 methods and tools were used. Prevalence, incidence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) were estimated by using the Bayesian meta-regression tool for disease modeling (DisMod-MR 2.1), whereas mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) rates were quantified in the cause of death ensemble model (CODEm).
Results
In the ESSA region, there were an estimated 1606 prevalent cases of CMLAs (95% UI: 1112, 2299), 2120 new cases (95% UI: 1472, 3016), 4 deaths (95% UI: 2, 10), 389 YLLs (95% UI: 186, 858), 241 YLDs (95% UI: 140, 400), and 630 DALYs (95% UI: 383, 1069) per 100,000 infants in 2023. Somalia had the highest non-fatal rates, while Mozambique had the highest fatal rates. The lowest YLLs rate was among males in Ethiopia. Between 1990 and 2023, the rates remained similar across the region. However, there was a 6% decline in the incidence rate (95% UI: -10, -1). The non-fatal health outcomes increased in Kenya.
Conclusion
This study revealed that the fatal and non-fatal outcomes of CMLAs were high and remained similar across most countries in the ESSA region over the past 34 years, indicating the need for targeted interventions to mitigate the burden. Implementing community-based screening, treatment, and counseling programs; establishing dedicated pediatric surgical care and rehabilitation centers; and strengthening comprehensive surveillance systems may be recommended to reduce the premature mortalities and disabilities.