The Societal Burden of HBV-Related Disease: South Korea

Abstract

To highlight the societal burden of HBV infection in South Korea, we estimated the annual societal costs of HBV-related diseases for the year 2005. For the economic costs of HBV-infection-related diseases estimate, baseline data was collected from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) database. To complement data from the HIRA database, hospital charts from sample hospitals was reviewed and patient surveys were conducted. In 2005, the societal cost of HBV infection was 1.937 trillion KRW, including 474,642 million KRW of direct costs and 1.463 trillion KRW of indirect costs. The cost breakdown by disease was CHB at 465,167 million KRW, cirrhosis at 533,449 million KRW, hepatocellular carcinoma at 863,940 million KRW, and liver transplantation at 74,635 million KRW. The estimated amount is equivalent to 0.24% of the 2005 Korean GDP. This analysis emphasizes how important the prevention and treatment of these diseases are from the perspectives of the Korean society.

The Economic Burden of Hepatitis A, B, and C in South Korea

“…Furthermore, chronic hepatitis B-related diseases have been reported as placing a significant cost burden on the South Korean health system (22). In 2005, the total costs of chronic hepatitis B were US $456.1 million (23). In this 2005 study, the total cost was divided into direct costs, such as formal and informal medical costs and transportation costs, and indirect costs such as time and productivity loss due to morbidity or premature death; the direct costs were US $131.9 million and indirect costs were US $324.2 million.…”

“…For example, the population attributable fraction of HCC has been as 68.1z for HBV and 15.2z for HCV in South Korea (33). Additionally, the burden of cirrhosis was estimated as 63z that of HCC (23). As a result, the burden of HCC was approximately US $534.9 million (US $289.8 million in direct costs and US $245.1 million in indirect costs), while that of cirrhosis was US $337.4 million (US $188.0 million in direct costs and $149.4 million in indirect costs).…”

Hepatitis B and C in the Syrian Arab Republic: a review

“…The global burden of disease caused by acute hepatitis B and C and by cancer and cirrhosis of the liver is high (~2.7% of all deaths) and is forecast to increase over the next 2 decades (1). Worldwide, there is major concern about the cost of treating chronic cases of hepatitis B and C (2,3).…”

A Novel Estimation of the Relative Economic Value in Terms of Different Chronic Hepatitis B Treatment Options

“…Drug costs were taken from the database from HIRA (Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service in Korea). Disease complication costs were updated using current clinical practice and HIRA data [29] (Table 2). The analysis was performed from the perspective of national health system.…”