The Estimation of Economic Burden of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Iran

Abstract

One of the most important public health concerns in both developing and developed countries is viral hepatitis B. It is an autoimmune liver disease, which imposes a high economic burden on individuals and the society. The aim of our study was to determine economic burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Iran. To this end, 300 patients with HBV infection, who referred to hospitals in three cities of Iran during the year 2015, were randomly selected. To estimate the total burden of hepatitis, direct and indirect costs, costs of DALYs and social welfare were calculated which gave the costs of 7500.93 PPP$ and 96782 PPP$, respectively. Finally, our results showed that the total economic burden of HBV in Iran is dramatic which can lead to decreased quality of life of household members and damage the economy of the society. Therefore, the benefit of prevention and control measures will justify the costs from social perspective.