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Updated: Jun 21, 2026
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Population Replacement Strategies for Controlling Vector Populations and the Use of Wolbachia pipientis for Genetic Drive
Published on: July 4, 2007
10.6K
Economic evaluation of Wolbachia deployment in Colombia: A modeling study
Donald S Shepard1, Samantha R Lee1, Yara A Halasa-Rappel1
1Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States of America.
Plos One
|April 30, 2025
Summary
Wolbachia bacteria significantly reduce dengue cases and are highly cost-effective for control programs. Economic evaluations show substantial health sector savings and favorable benefit-cost ratios across multiple cities.
Area of Science:
- Medical Entomology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Health Economics
Background:
- Wolbachia bacteria naturally inhibit dengue virus replication in mosquitoes.
- Previous studies indicated Wolbachia's high cost-effectiveness in dengue control in several countries.
- This study evaluates Wolbachia deployment in 11 Colombian cities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct economic evaluations of potential Wolbachia deployments in Colombia.
- To inform decisions regarding the expansion of Wolbachia programs in dengue-endemic regions.
Main Methods:
- Assembled dengue case data from Colombia's national surveillance and health service registries.
- Utilized an expert panel to estimate under-reporting and misreporting of dengue cases.
- Calculated treatment costs using insurance tariffs and registry data for symptomatic cases.
Main Results:
- Estimated net health-sector savings of US$4.95 per person in Cali.
- Projected 369 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted per 100,000 population in Cali.
- Achieved societal benefit-cost ratios of US$5.50 in Cali and US$4.68 across all target cities over 10 years.
Conclusions:
- Wolbachia deployment demonstrates significant economic benefits and is largely cost-saving over a decade.
- Program costs were exceeded by economic benefits in all 11 evaluated cities.
- Wolbachia is a cost-effective dengue control strategy for high-incidence, high-density areas; vaccination may be suitable for high-incidence, low-density regions.
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