Costs of Invasive Meningococcal Disease: A Global Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Infectious Disease Epidemiology

Background:

• Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) poses a significant public health threat due to its rapid progression and potential for severe outcomes.
• New vaccines for serogroup B and ACWY are under consideration for public immunization programs, necessitating updated economic data.
• Current cost data for IMD is insufficient for comprehensive cost-effectiveness analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the costs and resource utilization associated with both acute invasive meningococcal disease infection and its long-term sequelae.
• To provide contemporary costing data to inform health economic models and vaccination program decisions.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, etc.) and conference abstracts.
• Studies reporting costs for acute IMD and long-term sequelae, published in English, were included.
• Costs were standardized to international dollars (I$) using established conversion methods.

Main Results:

• Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Mean acute admission costs ranged widely from I$1,629 to I$50,796, with an average incremental cost of I$16,378.
• Hospital stays averaged 6-18 days, and readmission costs ranged from I$7,905 to I$15,908.
• Sequelae significantly increased hospitalization costs and stay duration. Direct non-healthcare costs and productivity losses were not estimated in any study.

Conclusions:

• Invasive meningococcal disease imposes substantial direct costs on healthcare systems.
• There is a critical lack of data regarding the costs of long-term follow-up and indirect costs associated with IMD.
• Further research is needed to populate health economic models accurately and support evidence-based public health interventions.