The Financial Burden of Common Respiratory Illnesses of Children From Different Perspectives: The Cost-Of-Illness Study in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Acute nasopharyngitis and acute bronchitis are common childhood diseases. The problem is that the cost of these different subjects in the economy is unknown. This article aims at estimating the cost of acute nasopharyngitis and acute bronchitis per incidence from the perspective of society, employers, state budget, system of healthcare and households in children aged 4–15 years in the Czech Republic. We used an incidence-based Cost-Of-Illness study based on the typical course of disease. We estimated the mean societal cost per episode of acute nasopharyngitis at EUR 541 (children 4–10 years) and EUR 536 (children 11–15 years) and 1 episode of acute bronchitis at EUR 848 (children 4–10 years) and EUR 845 (children 11–15 years). Overall, the state budget and employers bear the highest costs in the Czech Republic. We estimated the share of cost from the perspective of the state budget at 46.9–49% and from the perspective of employers at 58.2–60%. The majority of these costs arise in indirect costs in connection with parents’ absenteeism from work.