Burden of veno-occlusive disease in tigray region of ethiopia: Evidence from community-based survey.

Background: Hepatic veno-occlusive disease refers to a toxic liver injury leading to obstruction and significant morbidity and mortality. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids are among the commonest causes of toxins. In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, this disease linked to toxic plant Ageratum conyzoides. Disruption interventions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Tigray war, potentially leading to escalated reports of the disease. Therefore, this study aims to assess the burden and distribution of hepatic veno-occlusive disease in the northwestern zone of the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conduct from January to February 2025, involving 2845 households and study participants were selected using multistage random sampling techniques. The data was collected from a defined population within a specific community at a point in time using Open Data Kit tool and exported to SPSS version 25.0 for cleaning and analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the association of factors with hepatic veno-occlusive disease. Statistical significance was reported using adjusted odds ratio along with a 95% confidence interval, and at p-value of <0.05. Result: Overall, 6.9% (95% CI: 6.0, 7.9) of households were affected, with 180 cases per 10,000 population. About 250 cumulative deaths per 10,000 population and a notable cumulative case fatality rate (CFR) of 58.1% were found since 2002. This showed with considerable differences among the various administrative districts in the zone. The risk was significantly increased among age groups above thirty, having a larger family size, and believing supernatural force was a cause for the disease. Conclusion: Unevenly distributed, high morbidity, mortality, and case fatality rate due to hepatic veno-occlusive disease were found in Tigray region.