Burden of Substance Use Disorders in the Middle East and North Africa from 1990 to 2019

Studies on the burden and epidemiological aspects of substance-use disorders in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are limited.

To evaluate the burden and epidemiology of substance-use disorders in MENA countries during 1990-2019.

Ecological study.

Data from the global burden of disease study were used in the current study. The incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost from mortality, years of healthy life lost due to disability, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) rates attributable to each group of disorders across age groups, genders, years, and countries were retrieved along with their corresponding age-standardized values. Age-standardized DALYs rates of alcohol-use disorders, drug-use disorders, and substanceuse disorders associated with sociodemographic index across MENA countries and over 30 years were examined.

The age-standardized DALY rate of substance-use disorders in MENA had risen from 190.1 in 1990 to 234.93 per 100,000 in 2019, indicating a 23.57% increase. In both genders, the DALY rate was highest in the 25-29-years age group in 2019 (440.81 per 100,000 in females and 645.97 per 100,000 in males). In addition, in 2019, age-standardized DALY rates of alcohol-use disorder were the highest in the United Arab Emirates (77.08 per 100,000), Afghanistan (67.77 per 100,000), and Bahrain (60.35 per 100,000). In almost all these countries, opioid-use disorder had the highest age-standardized DALY rate in 2019.

The burden of substance-use disorders has increased from 1990 to 2019 in the MENA region in contrast to the global trend. This study findings highlight that the current interventions and laws implemented in this region to address drug trafficking and substance-use disorders may be insufficient and ineffective, warranting further international collaboration and implementation of more effective strategies to reduce the overall burden of substance-use disorders.