International Journal of Public Health · Published 2026-07-28 · DOI 10.3389/ijph.2026.1609710
Awad Alshahrani, Raed Aldahash, Badr F. Al-Khateeb, Noof Alwatban, Maryam Alhabas, Seema Nasser, Lubna Alnaim, Ashraf El-Metwally
ObjectiveThis study systematically evaluating temporal trends of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) prevalence, mortality, and DALY estimates from countries in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.MethodsThe involved a secondary analysis of Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 data regarding age-standardized prevalence, mortality, and DALY rates are calculated for men and women by country and sub-region using 1990 and 2023.ResultsOverall, prevalence of T2DM increased from 5.6% in 1990 to 11.5% in 2023. Diabetes-related deaths, peaked between 2010 and 2015, declined to approximately 30 per 100,000 by 2023, disability burdens (DALY rates) rose, among men. Regional variations include rapid increases in Turkey, high rates in Levant, upward trends in North Africa (notably Egypt and Tunisia), and highest DALYs in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (2,600 to 3,400 per 100,000). Iran and Yemen reported low but increasing disability burdens.ConclusionT2DM has been consistently increasing over last 30 years in MENA region and has presented itself as a more debilitating and lethal chronic disease over this period. There is a wide range of variation between countries within the MENA region.
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Alshahrani, A., Aldahash, R., Al-Khateeb, B., et al. (2026). Epidemiological trends of type 2 diabetes in Middle East and North Africa, 1990–2023: global burden of disease data analysis. International Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3389/ijph.2026.1609710