Temporal trends and projections in the global burden of congenital genitourinary anomalies from 1990 to 2021: A cross-sectional study.

ObjectiveThis study used Global Burden of Disease 2021 data to assess the global, regional, and national burden of congenital genitourinary anomalies across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021.MethodsThis cross-sectional study estimated the burden of congenital genitourinary anomalies using prevalence, morbidity, mortality, disability-adjusted life years, and age-standardized rates, including the age-standardized incidence rate, age-standardized death rate, and age-standardization rate. Incidence and prevalence were derived from DisMod-MR 2.1, and a Bayesian age-period-cohort model projected trends until 2035. Analyses were stratified by sex, age, and socio-demographic index.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, the global age-standardized prevalence of female and male congenital genitourinary anomalies increased annually by 0.72% and 0.51%, respectively, with rising disability-adjusted life years across all sociodemographic index regions. Male congenital genitourinary anomalies consistently had higher age-standardized death rates, incidence rates, and age-standardization rates than female cases. By 2021, congenital genitourinary anomalies caused approximately 9700 deaths and affected approximately 5.2 million people, while age-standardized incidence and death rates slightly declined over three decades (age-standardized incidence rate: 18.21 to 17.69 per 100,000; age-standardized death rate: 0.15 to 0.12 per 100,000). Projections to 2035 show continued declines in incidence and death rates.ConclusionsDespite falling morbidity and mortality, congenital genitourinary anomalies remain a severe global burden. Governments and the public must recognize its gravity and prioritize targeted reproductive health initiatives.