The indirect costs of vaccine-preventable cancer mortality in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

BACKGROUND: Infections are responsible for ∼13% of cancer cases worldwide, with human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B (HBV) among the infections associated with cancer for which vaccines are available. The aim of this study was to estimate the indirect cost of premature mortality related to cancers caused by HPV and HBV in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries. METHODS: The number of deaths and years of life lost (YLL) in 2019 from four HPV-related cancers: cervical cancer, oral cavity cancer, laryngeal cancer, and oropharynx cancer, as well as HBV-related liver cancer were sourced from the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease database. HPV-attributable fractions were applied to deaths and YLL. The human capital approach was used to measure productivity loss, through value of YLL (VYLL), and estimated using gross domestic product per capita (World Bank; in USD). Seventeen countries in the MENA region were included. Four countries in the region were not included due to data availability. RESULTS: In 2019, there were 11,645 potentially vaccine-preventable cancer-related deaths across the MENA region. This resulted in an indirect cost of $1,688,821,605, with 76.1% of this accrued in the Middle East ($1,284,923,633). The number of deaths in the Middle East (5,986) were similar to Northern Africa (5,659) but YLL were higher in Northern Africa (179,425) compared to the Middle East (169,207). The highest indirect cost per death occurred in Qatar ($1,378,991), compared to $14,962 in Sudan. Oral cavity cancer had the highest VYLL per death ($186,084). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high burden of premature mortality and indirect costs of potentially vaccine-preventable cancer-related deaths in the MENA region. Improved vaccination program implementation, increased vaccine coverage of HPV and HBV vaccinations, and continued prioritization of public health measures, such as screening, could effectively reduce premature mortality and associated costs.

Estimation of lifetime costs for patients receiving a transplant: the case of liver transplantation related to hepatitis B in Italy.

Introduction: In Italy, post-liver transplant (LT) hepatitis B virus (HBV) reinfection prophylaxis is frequently based on a combined regimen of anti-HBV immunoglobulin (HBIG) and oral antivirals. However, little information is available at the national level on the cost of LT and the contribution of HBV prophylaxis. This study aimed to quantify the direct healthcare cost for adult patients undergoing LT for HBV-related disease over a lifetime horizon and from the perspective of a National Healthcare Service. Methods: A pharmaco-economic model was implemented with a 4-tiered approach consisting of 1) preliminary literature research to define the research question; 2) pragmatic literature review to retrieve existing information and inform the model; 3) micro-simulated patient cycles; and 4) validation from a panel of national experts. Results: The average lifetime healthcare cost of LT for HBV-related disease was €395,986. The greatest cost drivers were post-transplant end-stage renal failure (31.9% of the total), immunosuppression (20.6%), and acute transplant phase (15.8%). HBV reinfection prophylaxis with HBIG and antivirals accounted for 12.4% and 6.4% of the total cost, respectively; however, lifetime HBIG prophylaxis was only associated with a 6.6% increase (~€422 k). Various sensitivity analyses have shown that discount rates have the greatest impact on total costs. Conclusion: This analysis showed that the burden of LT due to HBV is not only clinical but also economic.

Burden and indirect cost of vaccine-preventable cancer mortality in Europe.

BACKGROUND: The economic and mortality burden of cancer is high worldwide. In Europe, cancer was responsible for 1.3 million deaths in 2020 and incurred an estimated cost of €50 billion from premature mortality. Human papillomavirus (HPV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are among the leading causes of infection-related cancers despite the availability of effective vaccines against these infections. This analysis estimated the mortality and productivity loss of HBV- and HPV-associated cancers that could be preventable through vaccination across European regions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (IHME) data were used to estimate mortality, years of life lost (YLL), and the value of years of life lost (VYLL) from five HBV- and HPV-related cancers (oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, cervical, and liver cancers) across 40 European countries in 2019. Preventable deaths and YLL were estimated based on fractions attributable to infections. Data from the World Bank on GDP per capita were used to estimate the VYLL. The robustness of these results was explored with sensitivity and scenario analyses. RESULTS: In 2019, 31,906 cancer deaths resulted in an economic burden of €18,521,614,725 due to productivity losses across Europe. HPV-related cervical cancer had the highest mortality (19,473 deaths) and economic burden (€10,706,253,185). HBV-related liver cancer and HPV-related larynx, oral cavity, and oropharynx cancers also had a substantial burden, particularly in males. Eastern Europe had the highest YLL (308,179; 39%) and Western Europe was responsible for the greatest VYLL (€8,281,306,504; 45%), although the highest VYLL per death was in Northern Europe (€923,638). HPV-related oropharynx cancer had the highest VYLL per death (€656,607). CONCLUSION: HPV- and HBV-related cancer deaths are associated with substantial mortality and productivity losses in Europe, which could be reduced by the continued prioritization and implementation of prophylactic public health measures including systematic awareness, vaccination, and screening efforts.

Availability, price, and affordability of anti-hepatitis B virus drugs: a cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: The global prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) has presented a persistent challenge for public health prevention and treatment. However, studies that assess the public's access to anti-HBV drugs are absent. AIM: To examine the availability, pricing, and affordability of anti-HBV drugs in Jiangsu province, China and provide recommendations for improvement. METHOD: An enhanced methodology developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Health Action International was applied in a cross-sectional study that included 1026 healthcare facilities distributed in 13 prefectural-level cities in Jiangsu province. RESULTS: Since almost all drugs had an availability of less than 30%, the accessibility of anti-HBV drugs was notably low. Primary healthcare facilities had the lowest availability, reporting 1.4% for Original Brands (OBs) and 1.7% for lowest-priced generics (LPGs). Furthermore, the northern Jiangsu region recorded the lowest availability at 0.7%. LPGs demonstrated higher availability than OBs, with median availability probabilities of 2.6% and 1.4%, respectively. The drugs listed on the WHO Essential Medicines List exhibited higher availability than those on other lists. The median price ratios for OBs, LPGs, and volume-based purchasing drugs were 0.83, 0.50, and 0.27, respectively, less than 1.5 times the international reference price. Despite favorable pricing, affordability rate was 23% for urban residents and 0% for rural residents, which was discouraging. CONCLUSION: Low availability and affordability of anti-HBV drugs were observed. Policy recommendations should emphasize the improvement of LPG availability by incentivizing priority prescribing. Healthcare subsidies should be provided more effectively and equitably.

Universal Hepatitis B Antibody Screening and Vaccination in Pregnancy: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost effectiveness of universal screening for hepatitis B immunity and vaccination among pregnant women in the United States. METHODS: We designed a decision-analytic model to evaluate the outcomes, costs, and cost effectiveness associated with universal hepatitis B virus (HBV) immunity screening in pregnancy with vaccination of susceptible individuals compared with no screening. A theoretical cohort of 3.6 million women, the approximate number of annual live births in the United States, was used. Outcomes included cases of HBV, hepatocellular carcinoma, decompensated cirrhosis, liver transplant and death, in addition to cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Model inputs were derived from the literature, and the willingness-to-pay threshold was $50,000 per QALY. Univariate sensitivity analyses and Monte Carlo simulation models were performed to evaluate the robustness of the results. RESULTS: In a theoretical cohort of 3.6 million women, universal HBV immunity screening and vaccination resulted in 1,702 fewer cases of HBV, seven fewer cases of decompensated cirrhosis, four fewer liver transplants, and 11 fewer deaths over the life expectancy of a woman after pregnancy. Universal screening and vaccination were found to be cost effective, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $1,890 per QALY. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated the model was robust even when the prevalence of HBV immunity was high and the annual risk of HBV acquisition low. CONCLUSION: Among pregnant women in the United States, universal HBV immunity screening and vaccination of susceptible persons is cost effective compared with not routinely screening and vaccinating.

Effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccination in chronic HCV patients after successful generic direct acting antiviral therapy: significance of isolated hepatitis B core antibodies.

OBJECTIVE: Previous reports show conflicting results regarding hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine efficacy in Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected individuals and in those with isolated hepatitis B core antibodies (HBcAb). We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of HBV vaccine and identify possible factors that may contribute to hyporesponsivness in HCV-treated patients, including those with isolated HBcAb. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study with 118 enrolled chronic HCV patients who followed a 12-week regimen of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) and were evaluated for HBV serological markers. Eventually, 98 received appropriate HBV vaccination and were assessed for response. RESULTS: A total of 57.1% were vaccine responders although only 5.1% achieved a seroprotective level of HBsAb titre. The response rate was significantly lower among treated HCV patients with isolated HBcAb [2 (5.6%) vs. 40 (64.5%) respectively]. On multivariate analysis, advanced age [OR (95% CI) = 1.09 (1.02-1.17)] and presence of isolated HbcAb [OR (95% CI) = 39.59 (7.98-196.63)] were predictors of vaccine non-response. In our cost-effectiveness models, the cost of HBV serological screening was less than the nationally adopted non-screening approach. A model ratifying reinforced vaccination in non-responder HBcAb seropositive HCV patients would incur extra cost. CONCLUSION: Hyporesponsiveness to the HBV vaccination is frequent in chronic HCV patients even after achieving SVR following DAAs. Although there is no consensus on the clinical management of patients with isolated HBcAb, our cost-effectiveness options may support decision-making for better clinical benefit and proper health investments.

Cost-Effectiveness of Testing and Treatment for Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Infections: An Analysis by Scenarios, Regions, and Income.

OBJECTIVES: Testing and treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are highly effective, high-impact interventions. This article aims to estimate the cost-effectiveness of scaling up these interventions by scenarios, regions, and income groups. METHODS: We modeled costs and impacts of hepatitis elimination in 67 low- and middle-income countries from 2016 to 2030. Costs included testing and treatment commodities, healthcare consultations, and future savings from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinomas averted. We modeled disease progression to estimate disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted. We estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) by regions and World Bank income groups, according to 3 scenarios: flatline (status quo), progress (testing/treatment according to World Health Organization guidelines), and ambitious (elimination). RESULTS: Compared with no action, current levels of testing and treatment had an ICER of $807/DALY for HBV and -$62/DALY (cost-saving) for HCV. Scaling up to progress scenario, both interventions had ICERs less than the average gross domestic product/capita of countries (HBV: $532/DALY; HCV: $613/DALY). Scaling up from flatline to elimination led to higher ICERs across countries (HBV: $927/DALY; HCV: $2528/DALY, respectively) that remained lower than the average gross domestic product/capita. Sensitivity analysis indicated discount rates and commodity costs were main factors driving results. CONCLUSIONS: Scaling up testing and treatment for HBV and HCV infection as per World Health Organization guidelines is a cost-effective intervention. Elimination leads to a much larger impact though ICERs are higher. Price reduction strategies are needed to achieve elimination given the substantial budget impact at current commodity prices.

A tool to measure the economic impact of Hepatitis B elimination: A case study in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: No virologic cure exists for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and existing therapies are designed to control viral replication. We aimed to estimate the national prevalence of HBsAg in 2017 and study the impact of an enhanced diagnosis rate and universal treatment administration on HBV-related outcomes in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A dynamic transmission and disease burden model was developed to estimate the future economic burden of HBV infection. The infected population was tracked by age and gender-defined cohorts; direct costs (healthcare, screening, diagnostics and treatment) and indirect costs (disability-adjusted life years and the value of a statistical life year) were calculated. The impact of two intervention scenarios (Achieve WHO Targets: diagnose 90% of infections and treat 80% of high viral load patients by 2030; and Diagnose and Treat All: diagnose and treat all infected patients by 2022) were compared against the Base Case scenario (no policy action), with near-universal vaccination coverage rates held constant. A sensitivity analysis of future treatment cost was also conducted. RESULTS: In 2017, HBsAg prevalence was estimated at 1.7%, corresponding to 574,000 infections. The same year, there was an estimated incidence of 490 cases of decompensated cirrhosis, 1500 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 1740 liver-related deaths (LRD). HBsAg prevalence was 0.1% among 5-year-olds and <0.1% among infants. Disease burden outcomes by 2030, as compared with 2015, were as follows - Base Case: LRDs and HCC incidence were projected to increase by 70%. WHO Targets: A 30-35% decline in both HCC incidence and LRDs. Diagnose and Treat All: A 50-55% decline in HCC incidence and LRDs. In all scenarios, HBsAg prevalence among infants and 5-year-olds declined to <0.1% with the Diagnose and Treat all scenario resulting in a prevalence approaching zero in this age group. Annual direct costs are projected to increase and peak by 2022 in both intervention scenarios due to expansion of treatment and diagnostics. However, these are offset by the reduction of indirect economic costs, starting immediately in the WHO Targets scenario and by 2023 in the strategy to diagnose and treat all. Achieving WHO Targets is estimated to achieve a positive return on investment (ROI) by 2021 when examining direct costs and indirect economic losses at a treatment price of $2700 USD per patient yearly. Diagnosing and treating all patients, however, would require at least a 50% reduction in the unit cost of treatment to achieve a positive ROI by 2029. CONCLUSIONS: Increased diagnosis and treatment rates of HBV would lead to substantial declines in HCC and LRD. This effect would be dramatically enhanced by administering treatment to all HBV cases regardless of viral load and estimated to be highly cost-effective if treatment prices can be substantially reduced.

Post-vaccination anti-HBs testing among healthcare workers: More economical than post-exposure management for Hepatitis B.

OBJECTIVE: to compare the direct cost, from the perspective of the Unified Health System, of assessing the post-vaccination serological status with post-exposure management for hepatitis B among health care workers exposed to biological material. METHOD: cross-sectional study and cost-related, based on accident data recorded in the System of Information on Disease Notification between 2006 and 2016, where three post-exposure and one pre-exposure management scenarios were evaluated: A) accidents among vaccinated workers with positive and negative serological status tests for hepatitis B, exposed to known and unknown source-person; B) handling unvaccinated workers exposed to a known and unknown source-person; C) managing vaccinated workers and unknown serological status for hepatitis B and D) cost of the pre-exposure post-vaccination test. Accidents were assessed and the direct cost was calculated using the decision tree model. RESULTS: scenarios where workers did not have protective titles after vaccination or were unaware of the serological status and were exposed to a positive or unknown source-person for hepatitis B. CONCLUSION: the direct cost of hepatitis B prophylaxis, including confirmation of serological status after vaccination would be more economical for the health system.

Tenofovir prophylaxis for preventing mother-to-child hepatitis B virus transmission in China: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate whether tenofovir prophylaxis for mothers with high viral loads in late pregnancy is a cost-effective way to prevent mother-to-child hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission in China. METHODS: A decision tree Markov model was constructed for a cohort of infants born to HBV surface antigen-positive mothers in China, 2016. The expected cost and effectiveness were compared between the current active-passive immunoprophylaxis strategy and the tenofovir prophylaxis strategy, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. One-way and multi-way probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. RESULTS: For 100,000 babies born to mothers positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, tenofovir prophylaxis strategy will prevent 2213 perinatal HBV infections and will gain 931 quality-adjusted life years when compared with the current active-passive immunoprophylaxis strategy. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was ï¿¥59,973 ($9087) per quality-adjusted life years gained. This result was robust over a wide range of assumptions. CONCLUSIONS: Tenofovir prophylaxis for mothers with high viral loads in late pregnancy was found to be more cost-effective than the current active-passive immunoprophylaxis alone. Embedding tenofovir prophylaxis for mothers with high virus loads into the present hepatitis B prevention strategies should be considered to further prevent mother-to-child hepatitis B transmission in China.

Costs of viral hepatitis B in the Republic of Korea, 2002-2015.

The Republic of Korea has a high prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and the policies concerning costly antiviral medication have been revised recently. However, in the past 10 years, no related research on costs has been conducted. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic burden of viral hepatitis B and determine the trend of changes in its costs between 2002 and 2015. Claims data from the National Health Insurance Service were used. To identify viral hepatitis B cases, the ICD-10th code B16, B17.0, B18.0 and B18.1 were used based on a primary diagnosis. This study was conducted from a societal perspective regarding both direct and indirect costs. Annual costs were adjusted for inflation by calculations based on the 2015 costs. The number of patients with viral hepatitis B increased from 213 758 in 2002 to 342 672 in 2015. The total socio-economic costs increased from 127.1 million USD in 2002 to 459.1 million USD in 2015, mainly due to the increase in pharmaceutical costs, which accounted for the largest proportion of total costs since 2009-220.5 million USD in 2015, which was ~15 times higher than that in 2002. The healthcare costs for viral hepatitis B accounted for 0.13% of the national health expenditure in 2002, increasing to 0.31% in 2015. The economic burden of viral hepatitis B has increased in the Republic of Korea. It is therefore essential to reduce the healthcare costs of HBV infection by establishing an effective management policy.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of antiviral treatment for pregnant women with high viral load to prevent hepatitis B virus vertical transmission.

INTRODUCTION: Vertical transmission of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is higher in infants born to pregnant women with a higher HBV DNA viral load even if the infants complete both active and passive vaccination. Although antiviral treatment is recommended for pregnant women during the antenatal period to reduce the rate of vertical transmission, most of them decline treatment. METHODS: A decision tree was made to evaluate the costs and benefits involved when pregnant women either agreed or declined to take antiviral treatment during the antenatal period. The cost-effectiveness price was arrived at by multiplying the reduced vertical transmission rate with expenses of future medical care associated with vertical transmission. RESULTS: From an individual mother's perspective, it was not cost-effective to receive antenatal antiviral treatment given the observed medication price and transmission rate in Singapore. However, the health system asserts that the current price of antiviral treatment is already far below the cost-effectiveness level, even without the Ministry of Health subsidies. Additionally, the awareness and perception of pregnant women also impacted treatment decisions. CONCLUSION: By analysing the decision-making process, our result explained the current low uptake rates of antenatal antiviral treatment for HBV among pregnant women. We also concluded that from the health system's perspective, it was worth providing subsidies for perinatal antiviral treatment to prevent huge expenses generated in the future by chronic HBV complications.

Enhancing the hepatitis B care cascade in Australia: A cost-effectiveness model.

If Australia is to successfully eliminate hepatitis B as a public health threat, it will need to enhance the chronic hepatitis B (CHB) care cascade. This study used a Markov model to assess the impact, cost and cost-effectiveness of scaling up CHB diagnosis, linkage to care and treatment to reach national and international elimination targets for hepatitis B in Australia. Compared to continued current trends, the model calculated the difference in care cascade projection, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), costs and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), of scaling up CHB diagnosis, linkage to care and treatment to reach: (a) Australia's 2022 national targets and (b) the WHO's 2030 global targets. Achieving the national and WHO targets had ICERs of A$13 435 (A$10 236-A$21 165) and A$14 482 (A$13 031-A$25 641) per DALY averted between 2016 and 2030 in Australia, respectively. However, this excluded implementation and demand generation costs. The ICER for the National Strategy and WHO Strategy remained under A$50 000 per DALY averted if Australia spent up to A$328 or A$538 million, respectively, per annum (for 2016-2030) on implementation and demand generation activities. Sensitivity analysis showed that cost-effectiveness was predominately driven by the cost of CHB treatment and influenced by disease progression rates. Hence for Australia to reach the National Hepatitis B Strategy 2022 targets and WHO Strategy 2030 targets, it requires an improvement in the CHB care cascade. We estimated it is cost-effective to spend up to A$328 million or A$538 million per year to reach the National and WHO Strategy targets, respectively.

Hepatitis B testing practices at a tertiary care centre and their associated costs: A retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B is a viral infection requiring specific serologic testing to diagnose the stage of the disease. There are many tests which can be ordered in a variety of combinations. This study aimed to assess routine Hepatitis B screening practices in a tertiary care centre and determine the diagnostic and economic benefits of protocolized ordering. METHODS: We evaluated all measurements of Hepatitis B total core antibodies, core IgM antibodies, surface antibodies and surface antigens performed at our institution between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015. We also recorded secondary testing (envelope antigens and antibodies, and viral DNA). Costs were estimated using provincial insurance reimbursement values. Using the subset of patients who received complete testing, we developed a reflexive screening protocol to minimize costs while simultaneously improving diagnostic utility. RESULTS: 30,335 hepatitis B tests were performed at an estimated total cost of $584,683. 53.9% of patients were screened with a single test. 29% of patients who received secondary testing had no evidence of exposure on primary testing. Using the protocol of initial testing of total core antibody and surface antibody with reflexive testing, we would save an estimated $181,632 (95% CI $154,201.90 -$208,910.50) per year while providing more complete information. INTERPRETATION: Screening practices for Hepatitis B are frequently inadequate to diagnose and stage the infection and often included unnecessary testing. Protocolization of Hepatitis B testing could limit this practice while resulting in significantly lower costs.

[Economic evaluation on strategy for preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B in Zhejiang Province].

Objective: To evaluate the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of current strategy for preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of hepatitis B virus. Methods: A decision tree model with the Markov process was developed and simulated over the lifetime of a birth cohort in Zhejiang Province in 2016. The current PMTCT strategy was compared with universal vaccination and non-vaccination. Costs were assessed from social perspective. Benefits were the savings from reduced costs associated with disease and effectiveness were measured by quality-adjusted of life-years (QALY) gained. The net present value (NPV), cost-benefit ratio (BCR) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) were calculated. Univariate and Probabilistic Sensitivity Analyses (PSA) were performed to assess parameter uncertainties. The parameters of costs and utilities value of hepatitis B-related disease came from the results of the field survey, which were obtained by face-to-face questionnaire survey combined with inpatient medical records, including eight county and municipal hospitals in Jinhua, Jiaxing and Taizhou. A total of 626 outpatients and 523 inpatient patients were investigated. The annual total costs of infection was calculated by combining the costs of outpatient and inpatient. Results: The PMTCT strategy showed a net-gain as 38 323.78 CNY per person, with BCR as 21.10, which was higher than 36 357.80 CNY per person and 13.58 respectively of universal vaccination. Compared with universal vaccination, the PMTCT strategy would save 2 787.07 CNY per additional QALY gained for every person, indicating that PMTCT would be cost-saving. The most important parameters that could affect BCR and ICER were the vaccine coverage rate and costs of hepatitis B related diseases respectively. The PSA showed the PMTCT strategy was preferable as it would gain more QALY and save costs. Conclusions: The PMTCT strategy appeared as highly cost-beneficial and highly cost-effective. High vaccination rate was a key factor of high economic value.

Willingness to pay for hepatitis B vaccination in Selangor, Malaysia: A cross-sectional household survey.

BACKGROUND: In Malaysia, one million individuals are estimated to be infected with the hepatitis B virus. A vaccine for infants has been compulsory since 1989, whereas those born before 1989 need to spend their own money to be vaccinated in private clinics or hospitals. The aim of this study was to investigate and ascertain the determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for adult hepatitis B vaccine in Selangor, Malaysia. METHODS: In 2016, 728 households were selected through a stratified, two stage cluster sample and interviewed. Willingness to pay for hepatitis B vaccine was estimated using the Contingent Valuation Method, and factors affecting WTP were modelled with logit regression. RESULTS: We found that 273 (37.5%) of the households were willing to pay for hepatitis B vaccination. The mean and median of WTP was estimated at Ringgit Malaysia (RM)303 (approximately US$73) for the three dose series. The estimated WTP was significantly greater in those with higher levels of education, among Malays and Chinese (compared to others, predominantly Indians), and for those with greater perceived susceptibility to hepatitis B virus infection. Other factors-perceived severity, barriers, benefits and cues to action-were not significantly associated with WTP for adult hepatitis B vaccination. CONCLUSION: Additional resources are needed to cover the households that are not willing to pay for hepatitis B vaccination. More awareness (particularly in regards to hepatitis B virus susceptibility) could change the national perception towards self-paid hepatitis B virus vaccination and increase hepatitis B vaccine coverage.

Cost Analysis and Determinants of Living Donor Liver Transplantation in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation (LT) has become established therapy for end-stage liver disease and small-cell hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), relying mainly on living donor LT (LDLT) in Taiwan. The cost of LDLT varies in different countries depending on the insurance system, the costs of the facility, and staff. In this study we aimed to investigate cost outcomes and determinants of LDLT in Taiwan. METHODS: From January 2014 to December 2015, 184 LDLT patients were enrolled in a study performed at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. Patients' transplantation costs were defined as expense from immediately after surgery to discharge during hospitalization for LDLT. Antiviral therapy and hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) for prevention of hepatitis B virus (HBV) were included, but direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C (HCV) was excluded. RESULTS: The median total, intensive care unit (ICU), and ward costs of LT were US$64,250, $43,357, and $16,138 (currency ratio 1:30), respectively. HBV significantly increased the total cost of LT, followed by postoperative reintubation and bile duct complications. CONCLUSION: The charges associated with anti-HBV viral therapy and HBIG increase the cost of LDLT. Disease severity of liver cirrhosis showed less importance in predicting cost. Postoperative complications such as reintubation or bile duct complications should be avoided to reduce the cost of LT.

World hepatitis day in Burkina Faso, 2017: seroprevalence and vaccination against hepatitis B virus to achieve the 2030 elimination goal.

BACKGROUND: Burkina Faso is a high endemicity country for HBV infection. However, there are few data on vaccine coverage against HBV. The aim of this study was to contribute to the improvement of HBV vaccine coverage in Ouagadougou through HBV screening. METHODS: Awareness campaigns and voluntary hepatitis B screening were organized in the twelve districts of Ouagadougou by the "SOS Hepatitis Burkina" association. A rapid HBsAg detection test (Abon Biopharma Guangzhou, Co., Ltd. Chine) was performed on 2216 individuals, who voluntarily answered a series of questions. Vaccination against hepatitis B was proposed to HBV negative participants. RESULTS: In a sample of 2216 participants, aged 1 to 78 years (mean age 29.7 ± 14.7 years); a prevalence of 10.4% (230/2216) of HBsAg was obtained. This prevalence was high in the age groups 31 to 40 years (14.5%) and 41 to 50 years (15.0%). The prevalence of HBV was higher in the sixth district (14.3%) of Ouagadougou. At the end of the screening, 1202/1986 HBV negative participants were vaccinated, resulting in a vaccination rate of 60.5%. Vaccination coverage ranged from 44.5 to 73.7% all twelve districts. CONCLUSIONS: This study still reports a high prevalence of HBV infection among young people with a peak in the sixth district of Ouagadougou. The study achieved high vaccination coverage in all age groups and districts of Ouagadougou. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The present study has been approved by the Ethics Committee for Health Research of Burkina Faso. CERS201501006 Registered 14 January 2015.

[Evaluation of economic outcomes of "hepatitis B vaccine event reported by media" in China, 2013].

Objective: To edentify the increased cost, the decreased benefits and effectiveness of hepatitis B vaccine event reported by media in 2013 in China both in Chinese nationwide and in Shenzhen. Methods: The decision analytic-Markov models were constructed. The cohort born in 2013 in nationwide and in Shenzhen were respectively introduced to the models. The vaccination coverage and the rates of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen were determined as major parameters. The average costs and benefits per case, the effectiveness which included the numbers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the patients with HBV-related diseases, the average quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) per case were calculated from the medical-care and societal perspectives. The benefit cost ratio (BCR), ratio of the total costs and the net QALYs were as indicators of cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis, respictively. Results: In nationwide, the BCRs decreased from 9.10 and 8.58 to 2.48 and 2.43, respectively, because the average costs increased to 6 796.60 yuan (RMB) and 8 451.45 yuan, and average benefits decreased to 6 799.57 yuan and 8 484.41 yuan, respectively, from the medical-care and societal perspectives. In Shenzhen, the BCRs decreased from 16.21 and 14.51 to 3.11 and 3.04 with the average costs of 5 244.88 yuan and 8 937.64 yuan, and average benefits of 5 248.11 yuan and 8 977.27 yuan. Totally, the increase of 2.1314 million and 181 hundreds of the HBV infectors occurred for the event in nationwide and in Shenzhen, respectively. Of all the infectors increased the most, the numbers of acute and chronic hepatitis B were 1 904 hundreds and 807 hundreds in nationwide, 794 and 395 in Shenzhen, espectively. The decreases of average QALY per case were 0.119 8 in nationwide and 0.090 6 in Shenzhen. The costs per averted a QALY increased from 6 231.90 yuan to 22 883.51 yuan in nationwide, from 3 567.25 yuan to 1 8571.49 yuan in Shenzhen (for medical-care perspective), from 8 252.79 yuan and 6 807.45 yuan to 29 091.92 yuan and 32 553.60 yuan (for societal perspective). Conclusion: The hepatitis B vaccine event reported by media in 2013 in China caused the costs increased, both benefits and the economic values obviously decreased.