Prevalence of Hearing Loss and Years Lived With Disability in Ethiopia From 1990 to 2023: A Subnational Analysis for the Global Burden of Diseases Study

BACKGROUND: Hearing impairment is increasingly being acknowledged as a major public health issue. This study determined the prevalence of hearing loss and the years lived with disability (YLDs) in Ethiopia from 1990 to 2023. METHODS: The study used the Global Burden of Diseases 2023 estimates and methods. RESULTS: In 2023, Ethiopia had an estimated 15.93 million prevalent cases of hearing loss (95% UI: 15.00-16.79), with an age-standardized prevalence rate of 21,702 per 10⁵ population (95% UI: 20,818-22,568). The corresponding YLDs were 580,148 (95% UI: 403,721-806,166), yielding a rate of 801 per 10⁵ population (95% UI: 560-1109). Both prevalence and YLDs increased with age. Between 1990 and 2023, prevalence rose slowly by 3% (95% UI: 2-4), while the YLDs rate did not change significantly. Mild hearing loss dominated the burden, with 10.6 million cases (95% UI: 10.07-10.69) and a rate of 14,425 per 100,000 (95% UI: 13,759-15,133). Rates of complete hearing loss declined by 23% (95% UI: -26 to -21) and severe hearing loss by 3% (95% UI: -5 to -1), whereas rates of mild, moderate, and moderately severe hearing loss showed a slight increase. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a substantial and persistent burden of hearing loss in Ethiopia over the past three decades, dominated by mild cases and increasing with age. While severe and complete forms declined, mild-to-moderate rates rose, underscoring the need for integrated screening, expanded access to hearing care, and strengthened health systems to address this growing public health challenge.