Global Trends in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Burden and Quality of Care Inequalities Across Regions, 1990 to 2021

Objective: To reveal the global trends in the burden and quality of care for childhood ALL from 1990 to 2021, along with inequalities in quality of care across regions, thus identifying regions requiring targeted interventions for optimizing health care resource allocation. Methods: Utilizing Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 data, this research analyzed the temporal trends in the global burden of childhood ALL from 1990 to 2021. The quality of care index (QCI) was used to quantify care quality, and the gender disparity ratio (GDR) was used to assess gender disparities. Trend analyses were conducted using the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC), and the associations between QCI, GDR, and the sociodemographic index (SDI) were explored. Inequalities in QCI and GDR across regions were evaluated using the slope index of inequality (SII) and health inequality concentration index. Results: From 1990 to 2021, the incidence and death rates, as well as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years of life lost (YLLs) due to childhood ALL, significantly decreased. However, the number of prevalence and prevalence crude rate increased by 66.818% and 37.923%, respectively. Global care quality continued to improve, with an EAPC of 2.566 (95% CI: 2.488-2.645). In 2021, regions with high QCI were concentrated in high-income areas like Western Europe, while low QCI regions were primarily in low-income areas like sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Although the health inequality concentration index of global quality of care decreased from 0.550 in 1990 to 0.395 in 2021, the SII increased from 35.396 to 87.141. Care quality was consistently higher in females than in males, particularly in low and low-middle SDI regions, while the disparities in high and middle SDI regions were gradually narrowing. Conclusion: Despite the gradual decrease in the burden of childhood ALL globally and the steady improvement in quality of care, absolute inequalities remain a significant challenge. Future efforts should focus on increasing health care resource allocation in low SDI regions, enhancing international cooperation, improving the quality and accessibility of care in priority regions, and promoting global health equity.