Temporal trends in cross-country inequalities of Burkitt lymphoma burden in children under 10 years of age from 1990 to 2021.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Given the uncertainty surrounding the exact global incidence rate of BL, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of BL epidemiology in children under 10 years of age at the global, regional, and national levels, along with a multidimensional trend analysis. This study utilizes the standardized methodology from the 2021 Burden of Disease (GBD) to describe the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of BL in children under 10 years of age at the global, regional and national levels. The analysis includes both numerical counts and age-standardized rates (ASR) per 1,00,000 individuals, along with their 95% uncertainty intervals (UI). The burden of BL is decomposed based on population growth, aging, and epidemiological changes. Additionally, cross-national health inequalities in BL burden are quantified using standard health equity methods, and the burden of BL is projected to 2040. In 2021, there were approximately 22,878.70 (95% UI: 14,619.46-30,361.43) cases of BL in children under 10 years of age globally, with Western and Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa showing the highest incidence, prevalence, mortality and DALYs. Nigeria had the highest number of cases, with approximately 4624.35 (95% UI: 2192.40-7001.90) cases. From 1990 to 2021, the global burden of BL in children under 10 years of age showed an overall upward trend. Decomposition analysis revealed that low Socio-demographic Index (low-SDI) regions saw the most significant increase in DALYs, primarily driven by population growth. Inequality analysis indicated that countries with lower SDI continue to bear a growing burden of BL in children under 10 years of age. Notably, projections suggest that the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs for BL in children under 10 years of age will continue to rise, with global cases expected to reach 23,755 by 2040, with females exhibiting a relatively faster increase in disease burden compared with males. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the disease burden of BL in children under 10 years of age, highlighting that regions and countries with lower SDI bear a significantly higher burden. Additionally, cross-national inequalities in BL burden have worsened over time.