Socioeconomic Burden (SOB) of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Latin America (LATAM): Trends and Projections 2017-2032
Author(s)
Josue Hidalgo, PharmD1, Juan Ignacio Altuna, BEc2, Malina Müller, BA, MA, PhD3, Davide Lovera, MPH4, Melissa Diaz, MSc, MD5, Daniel Samaca, Psych6.
1Hemophilia Access & Value LATAM Lead, Roche LATAM, San José, Costa Rica, 2Productos Roche S.A.Q.e I., Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3WifOR Institute, Darmstadt, Germany, 4WifOR Institute, Berlin, Germany, 5Roche/LSHT, bogota, Colombia, 6Roche, Bogotá, Colombia.
1Hemophilia Access & Value LATAM Lead, Roche LATAM, San José, Costa Rica, 2Productos Roche S.A.Q.e I., Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3WifOR Institute, Darmstadt, Germany, 4WifOR Institute, Berlin, Germany, 5Roche/LSHT, bogota, Colombia, 6Roche, Bogotá, Colombia.
OBJECTIVES: This study quantifies the SOB of MS in Latin American countries over the period 2017-2032, employing the methodology developed by the WifOR institute.
METHODS: This study, conducted across nine LATAM countries—Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay—measured the health burden estimated through disability-adjusted life years(DALYs) attributable to MS as reported by the Global Burden of Disease database(2021), alongside the SoB measured as annual productivity loss (1DALY=1 year of paid and unpaid productivity loss).
RESULTS: In 2017, the highest number of DALYs were recorded in Mexico(15,526), Argentina(6,356), and Colombia(3,271), contrasting with Uruguay(713), Costa Rica(506), and Panama(263). The SOB in 2024 across the nine countries totaled USD 1.25 billion. The countries demonstrating the highest increases in productivity losses from 2017 to 2024 were Mexico (84.4%), Costa Rica (77.2%), and Panama (47.5%), reaching SOB values of USD 680.1 million, USD 31.9 million, and USD 17.4 million in 2024, respectively.By 2032, Mexico is projected to reach 21,735 DALYs, followed by Argentina (7,374), Colombia (4,261), Peru (2,315), Chile (2,044), Ecuador (1,355), Uruguay (766), Costa Rica (700), and Panama (377). These projections are associated with a 100% increase in productivity losses across the region, rising from USD 906 million in 2017 to USD 1.81 billion in 2032, with 64% attributed to paid activities. The countries with the highest expected relative increases in productivity loss associated with MS from 2024 to 2032 are Panama (68%) and Costa Rica (61.1%).
CONCLUSIONS: The increasing socioeconomic burden of MS is a matter of concern for LATAM countries, with an important financial burden to already overloaded healthcare systems. The high socioeconomic impact is attributed to the high disability in the working-age population, reducing the economic growth in the region. These results underscore the need for policy changes and treatment strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of MS.
METHODS: This study, conducted across nine LATAM countries—Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay—measured the health burden estimated through disability-adjusted life years(DALYs) attributable to MS as reported by the Global Burden of Disease database(2021), alongside the SoB measured as annual productivity loss (1DALY=1 year of paid and unpaid productivity loss).
RESULTS: In 2017, the highest number of DALYs were recorded in Mexico(15,526), Argentina(6,356), and Colombia(3,271), contrasting with Uruguay(713), Costa Rica(506), and Panama(263). The SOB in 2024 across the nine countries totaled USD 1.25 billion. The countries demonstrating the highest increases in productivity losses from 2017 to 2024 were Mexico (84.4%), Costa Rica (77.2%), and Panama (47.5%), reaching SOB values of USD 680.1 million, USD 31.9 million, and USD 17.4 million in 2024, respectively.By 2032, Mexico is projected to reach 21,735 DALYs, followed by Argentina (7,374), Colombia (4,261), Peru (2,315), Chile (2,044), Ecuador (1,355), Uruguay (766), Costa Rica (700), and Panama (377). These projections are associated with a 100% increase in productivity losses across the region, rising from USD 906 million in 2017 to USD 1.81 billion in 2032, with 64% attributed to paid activities. The countries with the highest expected relative increases in productivity loss associated with MS from 2024 to 2032 are Panama (68%) and Costa Rica (61.1%).
CONCLUSIONS: The increasing socioeconomic burden of MS is a matter of concern for LATAM countries, with an important financial burden to already overloaded healthcare systems. The high socioeconomic impact is attributed to the high disability in the working-age population, reducing the economic growth in the region. These results underscore the need for policy changes and treatment strategies aimed at mitigating the impact of MS.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-11, ISPOR Europe 2025, Glasgow, Scotland
Value in Health, Volume 28, Issue S2
Code
EE666
Topic
Economic Evaluation, Epidemiology & Public Health
Topic Subcategory
Cost/Cost of Illness/Resource Use Studies, Value of Information, Work & Home Productivity - Indirect Costs
Disease
Neurological Disorders, Rare & Orphan Diseases, Systemic Disorders/Conditions (Anesthesia, Auto-Immune Disorders (n.e.c.), Hematological Disorders (non-oncologic), Pain)