Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection affecting the central nervous system (CNS) with potential long-term consequences including neurological sequelae. Vaccination is critical to reduce TBE morbidity and mortality, as no antiviral treatment is available. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines areas with an incidence of ≥5 cases/100,000 PPY as highly endemic and recommends that vaccination is offered to all individuals in these areas. However, access to TBE vaccination depends on recommendations and funding by national or subnational decision-makers. We assessed if TBE vaccination could offer good value for money at incidences below this threshold. Methods: A closed-cohort Markov model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of TBE vaccination. We compared primary vaccination applied to the whole population (aged above 1 year) and to a subpopulation aged between 60 and 85 years to a scenario without vaccination. Since TBE incidence is often underestimated, we included under-ascertained TBE cases and non-CNS TBE infections. Germany was used as a case study due to the availability of detailed incidence data. Results: Our incidence threshold analysis showed that TBE vaccination offers good value for money well below the WHO threshold in most of the analyzed scenarios. Conclusions: Our results support a recommendation for TBE vaccination even in settings with low numbers of reported cases, especially for older patients. Furthermore, this analysis identified major research gaps regarding the costs, utilities, and clinical progression of TBE.

Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP) is a form of seasonal allergic rhinitis that affects 38.8% of the Japanese population. Particularly severe and most severe symptoms among JCP patients can lead to im...

There are three broad mechanisms through which health investments yield economic benefits. First, health investments in cost-effective innovations help improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs in a health system. Second, investments in health can help improve health and wellbeing of individuals. A healthier population is economically more productive, with a longer productive life and reduced absenteeism and presenteeism. Third, an important but often-overlooked mechanism is the benefit of health investments on the broader economy through influences on supply and demand across various other sectors of a country’s economy. We examine the third mechanism in selected Commonwealth countries. We provide an analysis and estimates of GVA growth and employment effects of the Health Economy for four Commonwealth countries, namely India, Nigeria, Malaysia and the United Kingdom in 2022. Drawing on a conservative ‘static estimation approach’, whose bases are on the Health Economy Reporting, to provide country-specific assessment of the return on investment in cancer services and cancer prevention in the UK, for which data are available, as an illustrative ‘use case’. For cancer prevention, we examine investments in vaccination for Human Papilloma Virus. In our analysis, the Gross Value Added (GVA) generated by the Health Economy in the UK amounted to about US$295 billion (8.9% of GDP; the largest sector by size) in 2022, with around US$171 billion of GVA (5.2% of GDP) generated in adjacent sectors, and through these two effects generating additional induced consumption of US$217 billion of GVA (6.6% of GDP). In India, Malaysia, and Nigeria, in 2022, total GVA generated by the Health Economy, adjacent sectors and through induced income accounted for 9.9%, 9.8% and 7.0% of the GDP respectively. In the UK, US$134 million of investment in HPV vaccination generated US$247 million of GVA in total and 2000 jobs. Whereas in India US$756 million of investment in HPV vaccination produced US$ 1149 million in total GVA and generated 155,000 jobs. The assessment of four Commonwealth countries reveals that the Health Economy contributes substantially to economic growth and generates substantial employment. These contributions extend beyond the health sector itself, reaching adjacent sectors along the health value chain and inducing effects throughout the broader economy. Investment in cancer prevention generates high returns with substantial addictions to GVA and employment. No external funding. Self-funded by 10.13039/100007229 Harvard University and Wifor Institute.

Background: Patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) have a five times higher stroke risk. For more than 50 years, vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) have been the primary medication for stroke prevention. Apixaban, a non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant (NOAC), has demonstrated better efficacy and safety characteristics than the VKA warfarin in the ARISTOTLE trial. This study aims to quantify the potential societal effects of using apixaban instead of VKA in the German NVAF population from 2017 to 2030. Methods: Using an existing Markov model and a dynamic population approach, we modelled the health benefits of apixaban in patients with NVAF compared to VKA therapy in the German population from 2017 to 2030. Results: The results represent the extrapolated direct long-term health benefits of apixaban over VKA therapy for the German NVAF population. From 2017 until 2030, the use of apixaban instead of a VKA could avoid 52,185 major clinical events. This includes 15,383 non-fatal strokes or SEs, 22,483 non-fatal major bleeds, and 14,319 all-cause deaths, which correspond to 109,887 life years gained. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that using apixaban instead of VKA for stroke prevention can lead to considerable reduction in cardiovascular events.

The authors would like to make the following corrections to this published paper [1]