Trends in the burden of sickle cell disorders in Sierra Leone, 1990–2023: An analysis of Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 estimates

by Monalisa M. J.

Faulkner, Fatima Jalloh, Foray Mohamed Foray, Sahr L. Gborie, Mohamed B.

Jalloh Background Sickle cell disease is a major cause of childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa, yet country-specific burden estimates for high-prevalence settings in West Africa remain limited. Objective To describe Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 modeled estimates of sickle cell disorders burden in Sierra Leone from 1990 through 2023, including temporal trends, age and sex patterns, and demographic contributors to mortality change.

Methods We analyzed GBD 2023 modeled estimates for sickle cell disorders in Sierra Leone, including prevalence, deaths, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) as absolute counts and age-standardized rates. Temporal trends in age-standardized rates were assessed using log-linear regression.

The Kitagawa-Das Gupta decomposition partitioned the change in estimated deaths into population growth, age-structure change, and age-specific mortality-rate changes. Results Estimated prevalent cases increased from 48,689 (95% UI, 42,588−56,140) in 1990–90,498 (78,126−105,815) in 2023.