Publication date: Jul 28, 2025
Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) among those aged 15-49 years pose a severe public health challenge, yet our understanding of the burden of these diseases in this age group remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the trends in MDR-TB and XDR-TB burden among this population from 2010 to 2021 across global, regional, and national levels. This study extracted four key indicators-incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 100,000 population-for MDR-TB and XDR-TB among 15-49 years from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. It assessed the burden trends using percentage change (PC) and estimated annual percentage change (EAPC), with further analysis by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI). In 2021, the global incidence, prevalence, deaths, and DALYs of MDR-TB among adolescents and young adults were 241,399, 336,746, 33,285, and 1,896,002, respectively. Global MDR-TB incidence and DALYs rates showed slight decreases since 2010, with EAPCs of -0. 76 and -2. 61, respectively. In 2021, the global incidence, prevalence, deaths, and DALYs of XDR-TB among adolescents and young adults were 12,861, 14,039, 2442, and 133,610, respectively. Since 2010, global XDR-TB incidence rates have increased, with an EAPC of 0. 57, while prevalence and death rates have decreased, with EAPCs of - 2. 67 and - 2. 87, respectively. The incidence and prevalence rates of MDR-TB were significantly decreased since 2010 in high SDI, high-middle SDI, and low SDI regions. The prevalence rate of XDR-TB was significantly decreased since 2010 in the high SDI and high-middle SDI regions, while a significant increase was observed in the middle SDI, low-middle SDI, and low SDI regions. Furthermore, a gradual decline was observed in the burden of MDR-TB and XDR-TB as the SDI level increases. The burden of MDR-TB and XDR-TB showed an upward trend during the COVID-19 epidemic. The burden of MDR-TB and XDR-TB among adolescents and young adults remained very severe, particularly in the middle SDI and low-middle SDI regions. The COVID-19 pandemic may impact the global burden of these drug-resistant tuberculosis. Targeted interventions are crucial to address this issue.
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| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Adolescents | DALYs |
| Tuberculosis | Disease burden |
| GBD 2021 | |
| MDR-TB | |
| SDI | |
| XDR-TB |