Economic burden of rotavirus diarrhea in children under 5 years old in Nanjing

Abstract

Objective To understand the economic burden of rotavirus diarrhea among children under 5 years old in Nanjing, so as to provide evidences for inclusion of rotavirus vaccine into the National Immunization Program. Methods From October, 2014 to September, 2015, patients under 5 years old who visited outpatient department or were hospitalized due to acute diarrhea in Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were enrolled. The results of stool test were used to identify rotavirus positive cases. The direct and indirect costs of the patients during treatments were collected by questionnaire survey. The economic burden caused by rotavirus diarrhea in Nanjing was then evaluated. Results Two hundred and thirty-six patients from outpatient department and eighty-seven hospitalized patients with rotavirus diarrhea were enrolled in the study. The average total costs per treatment for patients from outpatient department and hospitalized patients with rotavirus diarrhea were 970 RMB and 7 868 RMB, respectively. The estimated annual total costs of rotavirus diarrhea among patients under 5 years old in Nanjing were 71 million RMB and 14 million RMB for outpatient cases and hospitalized cases, respectively. Conclusions Rotavirus diarrhea caused significant economic burden for families and society in Nanjing. Rotavirus vaccination for children under 5 years old should be considered. Key words: Children; Rotavirus diarrhea; Economic burden