TREATMENT COSTS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS IN MONGOLIA: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS 2019-2026
Author(s)
Zuljargal Manaljav, MPH1, Munkh-Erdene Luvsan, MBA, MPH, PhD2.
1Mongolia Japan hospital, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Sukhbaatar district, Mongolia.
1Mongolia Japan hospital, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Sukhbaatar district, Mongolia.
OBJECTIVES: To calculate treatment related costs (medications, biologics, and dietary supplements) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
METHODS: The baseline study was done in 2019 included 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For the current 2026 medication-cost assessment, 49 patients who were followed up during the same period in April and May were analyzed using Stata 12.
RESULTS: The recruited patients were aged between 36-73 years. Mainly females (n=43, 87.7%) were among 49 patients. The mean monthly cost of treatment related costs per patient decreased from 203,564.1±13,530.81 MNT (76.9 USD; 1 USD = 2,647.1 MNT) in 2019 to 209,645.5 ± 19,510.33 MNT (58.2 USD; 1 USD = 3602.1 MNT) in 2026. The RA functional severity worsened, when mean annual treatment related costs decreased (class I: 50.7USD, class II: 60.2USD, class III: 58.4USD, class IV: 159.7USD, respectively) in 2026. The average inflation rate in Mongolia was 7.45% during April-May 2019, compared with 10.1% in April 2026. Compared with 2019, disease severity demonstrated a 32.6% reduction. Concurrently, the unemployment rate decreased from 67% to 55%, corresponding to a 12-percentage-point decline and indicating an increase in the proportion of employed patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Greater disability was linked to higher treatment costs, showing severity drives economic burden and the need for early, continuous control.
METHODS: The baseline study was done in 2019 included 120 patients with rheumatoid arthritis. For the current 2026 medication-cost assessment, 49 patients who were followed up during the same period in April and May were analyzed using Stata 12.
RESULTS: The recruited patients were aged between 36-73 years. Mainly females (n=43, 87.7%) were among 49 patients. The mean monthly cost of treatment related costs per patient decreased from 203,564.1±13,530.81 MNT (76.9 USD; 1 USD = 2,647.1 MNT) in 2019 to 209,645.5 ± 19,510.33 MNT (58.2 USD; 1 USD = 3602.1 MNT) in 2026. The RA functional severity worsened, when mean annual treatment related costs decreased (class I: 50.7USD, class II: 60.2USD, class III: 58.4USD, class IV: 159.7USD, respectively) in 2026. The average inflation rate in Mongolia was 7.45% during April-May 2019, compared with 10.1% in April 2026. Compared with 2019, disease severity demonstrated a 32.6% reduction. Concurrently, the unemployment rate decreased from 67% to 55%, corresponding to a 12-percentage-point decline and indicating an increase in the proportion of employed patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Greater disability was linked to higher treatment costs, showing severity drives economic burden and the need for early, continuous control.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-09, ISPOR Asia Pacific 2026, Bangkok, Thailand
Value in Health, Volume 55, Issue S1
Code
EE51
Topic
Economic Evaluation
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies
Disease
SDC: Musculoskeletal Disorders (Arthritis, Bone Disorders, Osteoporosis, Other Musculoskeletal)