The Estimation of Economic Burden of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Iran

BACKGROUND: One of the major causes of liver-related mortality and morbidity is Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection. It is also one of the reasons behinds of chronic liver disease and related complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. This autoimmune liver disease imposes a high economic burden on individuals and the society. This study aimed to estimate burden of HCV in Iran. METHODS: Overall, 200 patients with HCV infection, referred to hospitals in three cities of Tehran, Karaj and Tabriz, Iran during year 2015, were randomly enrolled. To estimate the total burden of hepatitis, direct and indirect costs, costs of DALYs and social welfare were calculated. RESULTS: Economic burden of HCV infection was obtained 26242.8 purchasing power parity (PPP$). Intangible costs of HCV was calculated 207421.6 PPP$. CONCLUSION: Total direct costs of HCV for each patient are more than household consumption expenditure. Therefore, it is a reasonable policy to control and increase insurance coverage of HCV patients in order to decrease their costs.