The socioeconomic burden of meningococcal infection in the Russian Federation

Background. The incidence of generalized meningococcal infection (GFMI) is increasing in the Russian Federation. However, meningococcal infection (MI) excludes into the National Immunization Program (NIP) yet. The burden of calculating GFMI as a function of disease severity is important for understanding its social significance.

Objective. To evaluate the socioeconomic burden of GFMI in the Russian Federation.

Materials and methods. The study was conducted from the perspective of the healthcare system and society as a whole using a modeling method for children and adults, taking into account the following costs: 1) direct medical costs: emergency medical care, inpatient and outpatient treatment, and rehabilitation treatment; 2) direct non-medical costs: payment of dis ability pensions and temporary disability (TD); 3) indirect costs: loss of gross domestic product (GDP) and economic losses as a result of premature death from MI in childhood. When calculating costs, 4 models of patients were developed based on expert assessment and identified based on disease severity, the need to stay in the intensive care unit, and the volume of rehabilitation measures and treatment. The calculation horizon was 1year.

Results. The total annual socioeconomic burden of GFMI in the target population of 611 patients (data 2023) of various ages was 1.395 billion RUR. Direct medical costs accounted for 72.8 % of the total costs. Most direct medical costs (933 007 981 RUR) were expenses for rehabilitation measures (505 967 674 RUR) and treatment of GFMI under inpatient conditions (304 190 032 RUR). Indirect medical expenses (TD) accounted for 24 % of the total burden, amounting to 311 443 579 RUR. The weighted average cost per patient in the pediatric population was 2,35 mln RUR per year, of which 769 167 RUR were spent on hospital treatment (32.6 % of total costs). The weighted average cost per adult patient is 2,4 mln RUR per year, of which 1, mln RUR accounted for rehabilitation measures (52.3 % of total costs or 70.5 % of direct medical costs equal to 1,80 mln RUR per year per patient). Economic losses due to premature death of a child (0–14 years old) designed for the considered cohort amounted to 70.96 mln RUR.

Conclusion. While maintaining morbidity dynamics, the total cost of GFMI over 3 years will amount to more than 4 bln RUR. The burden calculation shows the significant social significance of this disease and indicates the need for preventive measures at the national level, such as MI inclusion in the NIP. These measures should make it possible to reduce future expenses and to save labor.

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