Burden changes in notifiable infectious diseases in Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the disease burden of Taiwan's notifiable infectious diseases (NIDs). We compared disease burdens between the pandemic and pre-pandemic year of 2020 (with non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs)) and 2010 (without NPIs), respectively, to understand the overall pandemic impact on NIDs in Taiwan.

Forty-three national NIDs were analyzed using the Statistics of Communicable Diseases and Surveillance Report by estimating the premature death and disability via different transmission categories, sex, and age groups. The study evaluated the impact of diseases by assessing the years lost due to death (YLLs), the duration of living with disability (YLDs), and the overall disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) by measuring both the severity of the illness and its duration.

Taiwan recorded 1,577 (2010) and 1,260 (2020) DALYs per million population and lost 43 NIDs, decreasing 317 DALYs per million population. Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and acute hepatitis B/D were the leading causes of DALYs, accounting for 89% (2010) and 77% (2020).

Overall, this study provided the first insight of changes in disease burdens in NIDs between pre- and post-COVID-19 based on a nationwide viewpoint for further preventive measures and interventions to be focused on specific diseases by associated health administrations and policies.