Do “Developing” Countries Become “Developed”? Lessons from Helicobacter pylori Infection Recurrence Rate after Eradication

Background: The World Bank classified “developing countries” as all 135 countries with low- or middle-income economies, whose 6.7 billion people represent 84% of the world’s population. Other parameters, such as household crowding, poor sanitation, reduced income, limited education, and unsafe drinking water, are often used to refine this definition. A wide range of prevalence, from 18.9% in Switzerland to 87.7% in Nigeria, is reported, and the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and socioeconomic status is well established. After successful eradication, infection can recur due to recrudescence or reinfection. Summary: We compared the results of our two meta-analyses from 2008 to 2024, demonstrating the recurrence rates in developing versus developed countries. We also looked at the continuous change over time in the recurrence rate of H. pylori after a successful eradication in developing countries. We found that the disparity between “developed” and “developing” countries in the recurrence of H. pylori infection has disappeared, following a continuous decrease in recurrence rates of H. pylori in developing countries. Key Messages: We assume that H. pylori recurrence may be a marker for the socioeconomic state, and our results point toward a process in which “developing” countries advance toward becoming “developed.”