Sunday, October 28, 2012

Economic Impact of Dengue Fever

The complete picture of the economic impact of dengue fever on the world is not clear because of lack of data and research on this issue. Data is only available for the two American continents and the first-world countries. The occurrence of dengue is not too as great a health concern in first-world countries as it is in tropical countries of Asia and Africa, most of them coming under what is called third-world countries.

Dengue fever, the most widespread mosquito-borne viral disease in the world, has extended from its origins in South-east Asia and is showing its ugly face in countries like Argentina, Chile and the parts of United States. The economic impact of dengue in the two continents, as reported in a new study carried out by Brandeis University researchers and published in American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, is roughly $2.1 billion each year. This has been found to be more than the loss incurred from other viral diseases that include the human papillomavirus (HPV), cause of the most widespread sexually transmitted disease, and rotavirus, the major cause of fatal diarrhea in children throughout the world.

According to the estimates of the Brandeis University’s study group, 60% of the economic damage due to dengue is the result of productivity losses that affect households, employers and government exchequer. These are the indirect costs. Direct costs are the usual medical care costs.
In countries like India, including those in Africa, doing studies for evaluation of the economic impact of dengue is difficult. This is mainly because of lack of lack of government initiatives in carrying out helpful documentation for such kind of analysis.

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