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Chronic Disease Management Strategies / Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins / Diabetes Management and Education · Journal article
Health Science Reports · August 1, 2026
Reinforces what was already believed, rather than introducing something new.
This epidemiological analysis of Global Burden of Disease 2021 data documents substantial increases in type 2 diabetes prevalence, mortality, and burden across 21 Middle Eastern and North African countries from 1990 to 2021. The findings confirm a well-established regional public health trend with marked variation by country and a V-shaped relationship between disease burden and socio-demographic development, supporting the need for tailored prevention and control strategies.
Cross-national epidemiological analysis using Global Burden of Disease 2021 database. All residents of 21 MENA countries; no enrollment or exclusion criteria applicable to a population registry analysis. 21 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, United….
Age-standardized T2DM prevalence in MENA region was 8961.4 per 100,000 in 2021 (95% UI: 8330.5–9640.4) Highest prevalence rates: Iraq (15,052.7), Qatar (15,006.6), Kuwait (14,772.5) per 100,000 Lowest prevalence rates: Yemen (5688.4), Turkey (6372.4), Iran (6684.4) per 100,000
Age-standardized mortality rate was 28.9 per 100,000 (95% UI: 25.6–32.1); highest in Bahrain (126.2), Qatar (76.8), Egypt (55.3)
Clinicians and public health professionals in MENA countries should recognize the substantial and uneven regional burden of type 2 diabetes, with variation in prevalence and mortality reflecting differences in healthcare access, economic development, and population demographics. Country-specific epidemiological data support tailored screening, prevention, and management programs rather than one-size-fits-all regional approaches.
A population-level epidemiological analysis using established GBD methodology that documents and confirms the rising burden of type 2 diabetes in MENA countries; descriptive rather than interventional, with no novel mechanistic or clinical insights.
As stated by the source record.
Quoted from the source exactly as published.
Clinicians and public health professionals in MENA countries should recognize the substantial and uneven regional burden of type 2 diabetes, with variation in prevalence and mortality reflecting differences in healthcare access, economic development, and population demographics. Country-specific epidemiological data support tailored screening, prevention, and management programs rather than one-size-fits-all regional approaches.
Graded across the dimensions that decide whether you should act, each from what the source actually supports. There is no single score, and where a dimension was not assessed it says so.
Background and Aims: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents a major and rapidly growing public health challenge worldwide, particularly in regions undergoing rapid demographic and lifestyle transitions. The present study aimed to report the burden and trends associated with T2DM in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from 1990 to 2021. Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 were used to report the prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs), mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of T2DM in the 21 MENA countries. Results: In 2021, the MENA region had an age-standardized T2DM prevalence of 8961.4 (95% UI: 8330.5-9640.4) per 100,000. The highest prevalence rates were recorded in Iraq (15,052.7), Qatar (15,006.6), and Kuwait (14,772.5), while the lowest were observed in Yemen (5688.4), Turkey (6372.4), and Iran (6684.4). The age-standardized mortality rate was 28.9 (95% UI: 25.6-32.1) per 100,000, with Bahrain (126.2), Qatar (76.8), and Egypt (55.3) reporting the highest rates, and Yemen (14.4), Tunisia (16.5), and Sudan (17.9) the lowest. Between 1990 and 2021, the largest increases in prevalence were seen in Egypt (+310.6%), Morocco (+189.1%), and Afghanistan (+178.6%), while Morocco (+101.1%), Egypt (+89.9%), and Libya (+83.7%) had the largest increases in mortality. A V-shaped association was identified between DALY rates and the Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Conclusion: The burden of T2DM in the MENA region increased considerably between 1990 and 2021, with marked differences across countries, age groups, and sexes. These findings underscore the critical need for country-specific approaches to prevent, manage, and reduce the burden of T2DM.
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