Estimated Global and Regional Economic Burden of Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Infection among 15-49 year-olds in 2016

Nathorn Chaiyakunapruk*, Shaun Wen Huey Lee, Puttarin Kulchaitanaroaj, Ajaree Rayanakorn, Haeseon Lee, Katharine J Looker, Raymond Hutubessy, Sami L Gottlieb

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

Background:
Globally, herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2 and -1 infections contribute to a large disease burden, but their full economic consequences remain unclear. This study aims to estimate the global economic impact of genital HSV-2 and HSV-1 infection and its consequences for people with genital ulcer disease, neonatal herpes, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection attributable to HSV56 2.

Methods:
Using a societal perspective, the economic burden was calculated at the country level and presented by World Health Organization (WHO) regions and World-Bank income levels. The disease burden was obtained from previously published global disease burden studies in 2016 and disaggregated for 194 countries. Estimates of healthcare resource utilization were sourced from a literature review and online interviews were conducted with 20 experts from all six WHO regions. Relevant costs were obtained from the literature and estimated in 2016 international dollars (I$).

Results:
Both genital HSV-2 (I$31·2 billion) and HSV-1 (I$4·0 billion) infections and their consequences were estimated to cost I$35·3 billion globally in 2016. The major economic burden was from the Americas and Western Pacific regions combined, accounting for almost two-thirds of the global burden (I$20·8 billion). High and upper-middle-income countries bore a large proportion of the economic burden (76·6% or I$27·0 billion). Costs were driven by the large number of HSV-2 recurrences; however, even assuming conservatively that people with symptomatic herpes have on average only one episode a year, global costs were estimated at I$16·5 billion.

Conclusions:
The global costs of genital HSV infection and its consequences are substantial. HSV prevention interventions have the potential to avert a large economic burden in addition to disease burden, thus efforts to accelerate HSV vaccine development are crucial.
Original languageEnglish
Article number42
Number of pages9
JournalBMC Global and Public Health
Volume2
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2 Jul 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© World Health Organization 2024.

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