The cost of a disease targeted for elimination in Brazil: the case of schistosomiasis mansoni

Abstract

BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis mansoni is a poverty-related parasitic infection that has a variety of clinical manifestations. We consider the disability and deaths caused by schistosomiasis unacceptable for a tool-ready disease. Its condition in Brazil warrants an analysis that will enable better understanding of the local health losses and contribute to the complex decision-making process.OBJECTIVE This study estimates the cost of schistosomiasis in Brazil in 2015.METHODS We conducted a cost of illness study of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil in 2015 based on a prevalence approach and from a societal perspective. The study included 26,499 schistosomiasis carriers, 397 hepatosplenic cases, 48 cases with the neurological form, 284 hospitalisations, and 11,368.26 years of life lost (YLL) of which 5,187 years are attributable to economically active age groups.RESULTS The total cost of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil was estimated to be US$ 41,7million in 2015 with 94.61% of this being indirect costs.CONCLUSIONS The economic burden of schistosomiasis mansoni in Brazil is high and results in the loss of productivity. Its persistence in Brazil is a challenge to public health and requires inter-sectorial interventions in areas such as indoor water supply, basic sanitation, and education.

Retrocesso do Programa de Controle da Esquistossomose no estado de maior prevalência da doença no Brasil

“…Primeiramente, essa parasitose é mais incapacitante que letal 3, 16 , reduzindo o número da população economicamente ativa. Além disso, a esquistossomose gera altos custos à saúde pública, divididos entre os custos diretos (diagnóstico e tratamento de complicações), custos diretos não relacionados à saúde (transporte e atendimento doméstico) e custos indiretos (auxílio doença e morte prematura) 17 . O turismo, por sua vez, também é afetado, visto que alguns pontos turísticos apresentam potencial risco de infecção 18 .…”

Geographic Information System-based association between the sewage network, geographical location of intermediate hosts, and autochthonous cases for the estimation of risk areas of schistosomiasis infection in Ourinhos, São Paulo, Brazil

“…The fact that the significant distance in the Gi statistics is approximately 2 km allowed us to calibrate the surveillance activities to a concise and statistically pre-established area. Accordingly, it is possible to develop schistosomiasis control and monitoring activities at well-defined focal points, rationalizing the use of public resources, since Brazil spent approximately 7.7 million dollars in 2015 to control the infection 61 . Therefore, the information presented in this study as well as the tools used may be adequate to develop and direct surveillance actions that contribute to the control and even elimination of schistosomiasis in the municipality of Ourinhos.…”

The potential risk of Schistosoma mansoni transmission by the invasive freshwater snail Biomphalaria straminea in South China

“…However, susceptibility tests under laboratory conditions demonstrated that RBS was susceptible to the Puerto Rican strain of S. mansoni, reaching a positive detection rate of 4.17%, while BBS was resistant. Schistosomiasis is an infectious disease that affects 1.8 million people in Brazil, and most federal states of Brazil are affected by S. mansoni [29,30,31]. Previous studies have demonstrated that the intermediate host B. straminea plays an important role in the transmission of S. mansoni [32,33,34].…”