Economic Burden of Epilepsy in India

Purpose: The economic burden due to epilepsy is not adequately examined in developing countries. Cost estimates are very important in health care planning and delivery of services. We have estimated the direct and some of the indirect costs of epilepsy in India. Methods: Epilepsy centers attached to University hospitals in six states of India participated in this study. Data on clinical characteristics, utilization of medical services, and costs were collected in a standardized format. Results: There were 285 patients (mean age, 22.6 + 12.5 years) drawn from six centers in this study. The annual cost of epilepsy per patient was INR 13,755 (USD, 344). The direct cost was INR 3,725 (USD, 93), and the indirect cost was INR 10,031 (USD, 251). Direct cost included medical consultations (INR 329), laboratory services (INR 271), hospitalization charges (INR 316), and cost of travel to clinics (INR 659). The indirect cost included the cost of lost productivity due to seizures, its complications, or attendance to clinics. There are ∼5 million people with epilepsy in India. The economic burden due to epilepsy to the nation is to the tune of INR 68.75 billion (USD, 1.7 billion). Conclusions: The annual economic burden of epilepsy in India is 88.2% of GNP per capita and 0.5% of the GNP.