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Economic burdens of pediatric asthma in low and middle-income countries
Carlos E Rodriguez-Martinez1,2, Monica P Sossa-Briceño3, Jefferson Antonio Buendia4
1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia.
Insights
Childhood asthma significantly burdens low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Addressing this requires rethinking asthma management with prevention, universal medicine access, and integrated healthcare strategies to reduce economic costs.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Economics
- Pediatric Respiratory Diseases
Background:
- Childhood asthma poses a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- The clinical and economic burden includes increased mortality, disability, and healthcare expenses.
- Existing research on the economic burden of childhood asthma predominantly focuses on high-income nations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and review studies reporting the economic burden of childhood asthma specifically within LMICs.
- To extract and analyze key economic data from relevant literature.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review methodology was employed.
- Data extraction focused on reported asthma-related costs, study institutions, cost calculation methods, direct vs. total cost proportions, primary direct cost components, and identified cost drivers.
Main Results:
- The review confirms a substantial economic cost associated with childhood asthma in LMICs.
- Analysis covered various cost components and drivers, highlighting the financial impact on these regions.
Conclusions:
- The findings necessitate a re-evaluation of current asthma management strategies in LMICs.
- Future approaches must emphasize prevention, ensure equitable access to medications, and integrate comprehensive cost assessments.
- A proactive, integrated strategy incorporating primary care, digital health, and financial protection is vital for mitigating asthma's economic burden and improving child health outcomes.
Introduction:
Childhood asthma is a significant public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a high clinical and economic burden due to increased mortality, disability, and healthcare costs. Although numerous studies have been published assessing the economic burden of childhood asthma, most of these studies have focused on the financial burden of asthma in high-income countries.
Areas Covered:
This narrative review aims to identify studies that report the economic burden of childhood asthma in LMICs. We extracted the reported asthma-related costs, the type of institution where the study was conducted, the method of cost calculation, the proportion of direct costs to total costs, the leading direct cost items, and the main cost drivers, if reported, from the identified studies.
Expert Opinion:
This review highlights the high economic cost of childhood asthma in LMICs and provides an opportunity to rethink asthma management. Future strategies should prioritize prevention, ensure universal access to medicines, and incorporate cost assessment. A more proactive and integrated approach, combining a substantial primary care infrastructure, digital health interventions, and financial protection mechanisms, is crucial to reducing the economic burden of asthma and improving health outcomes for children in LMICs.
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