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Economic burden of sickle cell disease in Brazil

Ana Cristina Silva-Pinto1,2, Fernando F Costa3, Sandra Fatima Menosi Gualandro4

  • 1Regional Blood Center, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.

Plos One
|June 16, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Sickle cell disease (SCD) costs Brazil over $400 million annually, with indirect costs like lost productivity being the largest burden. Vaso-occlusive crises are the most expensive complication for both children and adults.

Area of Science:

  • Health Economics
  • Public Health
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects a significant portion of the Brazilian population, with an estimated 4-7% carrying the sickle cell trait.
  • Despite the known impact of SCD, comprehensive data on its societal economic burden in Brazil remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the total societal costs associated with sickle cell disease (SCD) in Brazil.
  • To model the economic burden of SCD from a societal perspective, incorporating direct and indirect costs.

Main Methods:

  • A disease burden model was developed with a one-year time horizon, utilizing data from the Brazilian public database (DATASUS).
  • Direct medical costs (standard of care, chronic and acute complications) and indirect costs (morbidity, mortality) were calculated.
  • Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were estimated, and costs were determined using the human capital method and public healthcare system data (SIGTAP).

Main Results:

  • The estimated annual societal cost of SCD in Brazil is $413,639,180 USD.
  • Indirect costs constitute the majority of the economic burden, representing 70.1% of the total cost ($290,158,365 USD).
  • Vaso-occlusive crisis was identified as the most costly complication, with annual costs of $11,400,410 USD in adults and $11,510,960 USD in children.

Conclusions:

  • The management of sickle cell disease (SCD) imposes a substantial economic burden on Brazilian society, exceeding $400 million USD annually.
  • Addressing the indirect costs associated with morbidity and mortality is crucial for mitigating the overall economic impact of SCD.
Abstract

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