Economic Costs of Tobacco Related Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Background: Communicable and noncommunicable diseases attributable to tobacco are responsible for a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality burden in Sri Lanka. The economic costs of these disease conditions in Sri Lanka in 2015 is quantified in this study. Methodology: The prevalence-based cost of illness methodology was used in this study. The direct costs calculated are the inpatient and outpatient care costs borne by the government and out of pocket expenditure borne by patients for the diseases conditions, which were weighted by the respective population attributable fractions. The lost earnings due to absenteeism of the patients and carers due to seeking care and recuperation, and the loss of income due to mortality were the indirect costs calculated. Findings: The total economic cost of the communicable and noncommunicable diseases attributable to tobacco in Sri Lanka in 2015 was US$ 540·7 million, which was 0·65% of the GDP. The direct cost was US$ 236·35 million, which was 44% of the total cost, while the indirect cost was US$ 304·37 million, which was 56% of the total cost. Interpretation: Further strengthening the implementation of current policies laws and interventions, especially the tobacco taxation policy and the introduction of new policies such as plain packaging and banning the sale of single sticks are required to address the significant economic costs of tobacco attributable communicable and noncommunicable diseases in Sri Lanka. Funding: This project is supported by the World Health Organization Regional Office for South East Asia and partly supported by the Thailand Research Fund (TRF) and the International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI). Declaration of Interest: All authors report no competing interests. Ethical Approval: