Spatiotemporal distribution and burden of hepatitis diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A nationwide analysis

Abstract

Hepatitis infection poses a significant challenge to global health. Saudi Arabia is also at risk from this illness, but as of now, there hasn't been a comprehensive countrywide study to examine how widespread and serious this disease is within the nation. This study aimed to look into how hepatitis disease is distributed over time and space within Saudi Arabia and to understand its impact. We used data from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health to conduct descriptive analyses. Our time-based analysis from 2014 to 2019 showed a rise in the number of hepatitis cases. In 2019, our place-based analysis found that the rate of hepatitis infections differed across various areas, with the Jazan region experiencing the highest rates. Hepatitis B was identified as the most frequent type, making up 68% of all hepatitis infections, followed by hepatitis C (27%) and hepatitis A (5%). Among the regions, Al-Jouf had the highest rate of hepatitis A infections. Jazan saw the highest rate of hepatitis B, and Mecca had the highest rate for hepatitis C. Our study of different population groups found that men, Saudi nationals, and individuals older than 45 years had higher rates of hepatitis compared to others. These results offer important insights for public health authorities and medical professionals to create effective prevention and treatment strategies that are specifically designed for those most at risk and areas that are most affected.