Global Disease and Economic Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases Attributable to Hepatitis B Infection: A Health...

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a significant global public health challenge, contributing to both hepatic and extrahepatic disease burdens. This study aims to estimate the global disease and economic burden of HBV-attributable noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The study included hepatic NCDs (cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases [CCLDs] and hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]) and nonhepatic NCDs (NHNCDs). Nine NHNCDs were identified by integrating the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 database cause list with narrative reviews from January 1, 2013, to May 31, 2024. The economic impacts of HBV-attributable NCDs in 159 countries were estimated and projected to 2035 using a cost-of-illness approach, encompassing healthcare costs and productivity losses due to mortality. Country-specific data were sourced from public and global databases. In 2021, the global HBV-attributable age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rates (ASDRs) were: hepatic CCLDs (61.51 and 161.92/100 000 persons), HCC (2.37 and 65.36/100 000 persons), and NHNCDs (7.75 and 33.04/100 000 persons). The global economic cost of HBV-attributable NCDs was conservatively estimated at $40.99 billion in 2021, including $37.42 billion in healthcare costs and $3.57 billion in productivity losses, equivalent to 0.027% of global GDP. Of the healthcare costs, 55.5% ($20.78 billion) were borne by the public healthcare providers, 13.2% ($4.94 billion) by the private healthcare providers, and 31.3% ($11.71 billion) by patients' out-of-pocket spending. If current trends persist, the global economic costs were projected to increase from $42.94 billion (0.028% of global GDP) in 2022 to $83.74 billion (0.035% of global GDP) in 2035, with a cumulative cost $847.10 billion (0.031% of global GDP) over this period. Central and Western Sub-Saharan Africa would bear the heaviest HBV-attributable NCDs costs relative to GDP, while the Caribbean and Latin America would experience the most rapid growth of economic impact. The economic burden of HBV-attributable NCDs is projected to increase over the next decade and disproportionately affect resource-limited settings. Targeted and sustained efforts will be essential to mitigate widening health and economic disparities.