Economic evaluations addressing diagnosis and treatment strategies for neglected tropical diseases: an overview

• Autor(a) principal: Tália Machado de Assis
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Ana Lúcia Teles Rabello, Glaucia Fernandes Cota
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFMG
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-9946202163041; http://hdl.handle.net/1843/55285; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5682-2981; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0538-7403
• topic: Diagnosis; Economic evaluations; Neglected tropical diseases; Treatment; Doenças negligenciadas; Análise custo-benefício; Diagnóstico; Terapêutica; Leishmaniose cutânea; Doença de chagas; Cisticercose; Filariose; Esquistossomose; Leishmaniose visceral

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are those affecting vulnerable people and causing additional social and economic burden. The aim of this study was to carry out a general overview of the health economic assessments involving the diagnosis and treatment of six NTDs: cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), Chagas disease, cysticercosis, filariasis, schistosomiasis and visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The literature search was based on two of the main medical literature databases (Medline and SciELO) and identified 46 studies. Twenty-six studies (57%) addressed therapeutic strategies, while other 20 (43%) assessed diagnostic or both diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The studies were published between 1994 and 2021, and 57% of them (26/46) were carried out in four countries. Cost-effectiveness analyses were conducted in 59% (27/46) of the studies. Economic studies of NTDs have timidly increased in recent years. Despite the improvement of analytical methods, completeness and accuracy of information, there are few new technologies applied to NTDs and public health systems. In addition, economic studies for NTDs are concentrated in a few countries. Thus, this review points out the need for investment in research, development and training of human resources dedicated to the economic analysis in health, especially on NTDs, as a strategy to reduce inequalities by optimizing the use of health resources.