Economic and human burden attributable to antimicrobial resistance in Spain: a holistic macro-estimation of costs

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Economics
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant threat to healthcare, increasing mortality and costs.
• Current estimations of AMR's burden are limited, primarily focusing on hospital systems.
• A macro-level assessment of AMR's economic and human impact in Spain is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the economic and human burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Spain at a macro level.
• To provide comprehensive data on AMR's impact beyond hospital settings.
• To inform policy and strategy development for AMR containment.

Main Methods:

• An economic model was developed using prevalence rates, premature deaths, and literature data.
• Costs were assessed using methods for inpatient care (extra hospital days), outpatient care (reimbursement rates), and productivity losses (Human Capital Approach).
• Data from EARS-NET, ESAC-NET, and GBD were utilized for 30 bacteria-drug resistance combinations.

Main Results:

• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Spain was linked to 77,870 infections, 6,199 premature deaths, and 426,495 extra hospital days.
• The total economic cost reached EUR 338.6 million (0.03% of GDP), with direct costs at 72% and indirect costs at 28%.
• AMR resulted in 3,112 years of working life lost, with Gram-negative bacteria being the primary driver.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first macro-level evaluation of AMR costs across diverse bacteria and infection sites in Spain.
• The findings highlight the substantial economic and human burden of AMR, emphasizing the need for robust containment strategies.
• These estimates are crucial for understanding the scale of the AMR problem and for effective public health planning.