Incidence of oral disorders and the years lived with disability in Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa, from 1990 to 2023

Oral conditions are major global public health issue. This study aimed to systematically analyze the incidence of and years lived with disability due to oral disorders by age, sex, and region in Eastern Sub-Saharan African (ESSA) region, from 1990 to 2023 using data, methods, and procedures of the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) 2023 study. The Bayesian meta-regression tool for disease modeling (DisMod-MR 2.1) was used to quantify the incidence and years lived with disability. In 2023, there were an estimated 239.3 million (95% UI: 209.1, 270.6) new cases of oral disorders with an age standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of 45,553 per 100,000 persons (95% UI: 40360, 51457). In the ESSA, oral disorders accounted for 713,803 years lived with disability (YLD) in 2023. The age-standardized YLDs rate for both sexes associated with oral disorders was 265 in 1990 and 220 years per 100,000 population (95% UI: 124, 350) in 2023 corresponding to annualized rate of change of -17% (-25.2%, -8.5%). In the region, there were no statistically significant differences in the incidence and YLD rates by sex and country. The age-sex distribution of the incidence rate of oral disorders was higher among 5-9 years children of both sexes compared to the other age groups, where the rate decreased as age increased among both sexes. However, the age-sex distribution of the YLDs rate of oral disorders was higher among 95+ years of both sexes compared to the other age groups, where the rate increased as age increased among both sexes. There was slight decline in the trend of age-standardized incidence rate in the region. Except in Kenya, there was also a slight and statistically significant decline in the trends of the age-standardized YLDs rates from 1990 to 2023. In all countries, the leading cause of age-standardized incidence rate was caries of permanent teeth. From 1990 to 2023, despite the incidence and YLD rates of oral disorders have slightly decreased in the ESSA, it is considered still a public health challenge. Strengthening the oral health promotion policy and context specific public health interventions need to be considered to mitigate oral health disparities.