The Cost of Asthma in Kuwait

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the direct costs of treating asthma in Kuwait. Materials and Methods: Population figures were obtained from the 2005 census and projected to 2008. Treatment profiles were obtained from the Asthma Insights and Reality for the Gulf and Near East (AIRGNE) study. Asthma prevalence and unit cost estimates were based on results from a Delphi technique. These estimates were applied to the total Kuwaiti population aged 5 years and over to obtain the number of people diagnosed with asthma. The estimates from the Delphi exercise and the AIRGNE results were used to determine the number of asthma patients managed in government facilities. Direct drug costs were provided by the Ministry of Health. Treatment costs (Kuwaiti dinars, KD) were also calculated using the Delphi exercise and the AIRGNE data. Results: The prevalence of asthma was estimated to be 15% of adults and 18% of children (93,923 adults; 70,158 children). Of these, 84,530 (90%) adults and 58,932 (84.0%) children were estimated to be using government healthcare facilities. Inpatient visits accounted for the largest portion of total direct costs (43%), followed by emergency room visits (29%), outpatient visits (21%) and medications (7%). The annual cost of treatment, excluding medications, was KD 29,946,776 (USD 107,076,063) for adults and KD 24,295,439 (USD 86,869,450) for children. Including medications, the total annual direct cost of asthma treatment was estimated to be over KD 58 million (USD 207 million). Conclusions: Asthma costs Kuwait a huge sum of money, though the estimates were conservative because only Kuwaiti nationals were included. Given the high medical expenditures associated with emergency room and inpatient visits, relative to lower medication costs, efforts should be focused on improving asthma control rather than reducing expenditure on procurement of medication.

The prevalence of asthma and related symptoms in Middle East countries

“…The results of two studies about the prevalence of asthma in Jordan indicated its prevalence of 8.7–10% in 6–7 years, 4.1% in 6–12 years and 8.8–9.5% in 13–14 years childeren . The results of three studies showed moderate prevalence of asthma in Kuwaiti's children . The prevalence of asthma was 13.4–27.6% in 13–14 years and 18% in 5–16 years old children (Tables and , Figure ).…”

“…The prevalence of asthma was higher in females than males . The prevalence of asthma in adult population of Kuwait was also 15% . Asthma prevalence among Omani adults was associated with smoking and allergy…”

“…Asthma diagnosis requires the presence of more than one of the respiratory symptoms, worsening of the symptoms at night and exacerbation of the symptoms by viral infection, exercise, allergens, changing weather or smoke. From 2011 to 2013, 235–300 million people worldwide suffered from asthma which may increase to 400 million in 2025 . Asthma prevalence varies (1–18% or even more) among different countries and also different regions of the same country due to the diversity in ethnicity race, sex, socioeconomic and environmental conditions, and lifestyle .…”

The Relationship between Hypomagnesemia and Pulmonary Function Tests in Patients with Chronic Asthma

“…In addition, oral or intravenous treatment can increase the costs [16,17]. Treatment with a β 2 -agonist can reduce serum levels of Mg 2+ via urinary loss or intracellular shift [18].…”

"Real-life" Efficacy and Safety Aspects of 4-Year Omalizumab Treatment for Asthma

“…Despite remarkable advances in the understanding of asthma pathogenesis, diagnosis, and availability of medication [1], there is a group of asthmatic patients who are still poorly controlled despite receiving the maximal available treatment [1,2]. Previous studies reported that the disease pathogenesis of 50-80% of difficult-to-treat asthma patients involves an IgE-mediated mechanism that triggers allergic inflammation [3,4].…”