The burden of disease and cause of mortality in Ethiopia, 2000-2016: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study and Global Health Estimates

Introduction: Measuring the burden of disease and identifying the cause of mortality are very important to improve the health care system and to understand the key challenges of population health and monitoring progress achieved by the intervention programs. Aim of the research: To systematically analyze the existing evidence to bring a solution. Material and methods: The research used data from the Global Burden of Disease study (GBD 2016) and Global Health Estimates (GHE) 2016, which originally collected the information through vital registration, verbal autopsy, surveys, reports, published scientific articles, and modelling. Results: In 2016, an estimated 700108.8 (95% CI: 588955.7-831398.4) deaths were recorded in Ethiopia, with an overall crude death rate (CDR) of 683.7/100,000 and an age-standardized death rate (ASDR) of 1048.3/100,000 population. Both declined, by 53.7% and 42.3% respectively, from the 2000 estimate. Group I causes (communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional - CMNN), group II causes (non-communicable diseases - NCD), and group III causes (injuries) contributed to 37%, 53%, and 11.7% of ASDR, respectively. The ASDR due to group I, group II, and group III causes declined by 61.8%, 12.5%, and 36%, respectively. Ischemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, stroke, and tuberculosis were the top five causes of ASDR. Disability-adjusted life years lost (DALYs) due to all causes among all ages declined by 34.8% between 2000 and 2016. Of the 46,507,400 DALYs in 2016, group I, group II, and group III causes accounted for 54%, 34%, and 11.7% of national DALYs, respectively. DALYs due to group I causes declined by more than 52%, while DALYs due to group 2 causes increased by 31.5%. Conclusions: Even though morbidity and mortality ascribed to communicable diseases declined remarkably, the burden of NCD is still higher and some of the existing communicable diseases caused higher mortality and DALYs.