Global, regional, and national characteristics of the main causes of increased disease burden due to the covid-19 pandemic: time-series modelling analysis of global burden of disease study 2021

The covid-19 pandemic significantly increased the burden of several non-covid conditions, particularly mental health disorders, malaria in young children in the African region, and stroke and ischaemic heart disease in older adults, with notable disparities across age and sex. These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen health system resilience, enhance integrated surveillance, and adopt syndemic-informed strategies to support equitable preparedness for future public health emergencies.