Global burden of viral skin diseases rises 36% since 1990: Children and elderly bear the brunt

Viral skin diseases are among the most common infectious conditions globally, causing significant disability and straining healthcare systems despite often being perceived as mild.

Using data from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease Study, researchers analyzed trends across 7.97 billion individuals. While age-standardized rates remained stable, absolute cases rose sharply: annual incidence increased 32.27% to 84.7 million, prevalence grew 36.29% to 136.8 million, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) climbed 35.81% to 4.2 million, driven primarily by population growth and aging.

Stark disparities emerged: children under 15 bore the highest burden, with incidence rising 44.2% in those under 5; notably, children aged 5–9 had the highest incidence and prevalence rates globally in both 1990 and 2021. Adults aged 50–65 and 85–95 also saw significant increases, and males consistently had higher rates than females. Geographically, high-income regions (led by Germany) had the highest current burden, but the fastest growth occurred in low- and middle-income countries, particularly Central Latin America and Western Sub-Saharan Africa. Projections show global cases will continue rising until around 2030.

The findings underscore the need for equitable policies: while high-income countries have made progress via vaccination and better healthcare, low-resource regions lag behind. Targeted interventions for vulnerable populations are critical to reducing the global burden.

The work titled “Global, Regional, and National Burdens of Viral Skin Diseases from 1990 to 2021: A Cross-Sectional and Time-Series Analyses” was published in Skin on May 14, 2026.