Abstract
Introduction
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic skin disease that poses a significant burden on both patients and the society. AD causes the highest loss in disability-adjusted life years compared with other skin diseases. This study aimed to estimate the economic and humanistic burden of AD in adults and adolescents in seven countries in the Middle East and Africa region (Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, South Africa, and United Arab Emirates).
Methods
We conducted a literature review to identify country-specific data on this disease. Subsequently, meetings were organized with experts from each country to complete the missing data. The data were aggregated and calculation models were created to estimate the value of the humanistic and economic burden of the disease in each country. Finally, we conducted meetings with local experts to validate the results, and the necessary adjustments were made.
Results
On average, a patient with AD loses 0.19 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) annually owing to this disease. The average annual healthcare cost per patient is highest in the United Arab Emirates, with an estimated value of US $3569 and a population-level indirect cost of US $112.5 million. The included countries allocated a range of 0.20–0.77% of their healthcare expenditure to AD-related healthcare services and technologies. The indirect cost of AD represents approximately 67% of the total disease cost and, on average, approximately 0.043% (range 0.022–0.059%) of the gross domestic product (GDP) of each country.
Conclusion
Although the humanistic and economic burdens differ from country to country, AD carries a significant socioeconomic burden in all countries. The quality of life is severely affected by the disease. If AD is controlled, the costs, especially indirect costs, could decrease and the disease burden could be alleviated significantly.
Plain Language Summary
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic condition characterized by inflamed and itchy skin. The prevalence and symptoms of atopic dermatitis are observed to increase in dry weather. Owing to its high prevalence in children, the majority of studies on atopic dermatitis are in children. Although it is also prevalent in adults and adolescents, its burden on adults has not been sufficiently studied, especially in Africa and the Middle East. This study quantified the burden of atopic dermatitis in adults and adolescents in seven countries in the Middle East and Africa. We estimated the economic and humanistic burden of this disease. We conducted a literature review and expert interviews to determine the effects on patients and caregivers. We created mathematical models to calculate the disease burden in each country, and local experts in each country validated the data. The study results showed that atopic dermatitis significantly affects the quality of life of patients. The direct medical costs of treatment in each country were calculated. The management of atopic dermatitis consumes around 0.20–0.77% of the healthcare expenditure in a country. The indirect cost of atopic dermatitis represents 0.022–0.059% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country. The country-specific burden data are essential to guide decision-makers in arriving at evidence-based decisions and efficiently allocating available resources. This study focused on the significant indirect economic burden of the disease, which can sometimes be underestimated because the disease is not fatal.