The Global Economic Burden of Tuberculosis: Regional Disparities and Implications

Background The global macroeconomic impact of Tuberculosis (TB) lacks comprehensive quantification using standardized economic frameworks. Methods This analysis utilized data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 to assess the economic burden of TB through the lens of the Value of a Statistical Life Year (VSLY) framework, integrating willingness-to-pay-based economic measures. The study monetized the total disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with TB to estimate overall welfare losses. Country-specific gross domestic product (GDP) data, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), were sourced from the World Bank and integrated with DALY estimates to calculate the Value of Lost Welfare (VLW). Results In 2021, the global economic cost of TB, expressed as VLW, was estimated at US$1.98 trillion (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 1.62, 2.45), representing 1.29% (95% UI: 1.05, 1.60) of global GDP. The economic impact of TB was disproportionately distributed across regions, with countries of low Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) facing the most severe burden, where VLW represented 7.83% (95% UI: 5.70, 11.20) of GDP. Lower-middle SDI regions experienced a VLW impact of 5.28% (95% UI: 4.30, 6.58). Sub-Saharan Africa (US$406.2 billion; 8.40% of GDP) and South Asia (US$822.5 billion; 5.70% of GDP) were identified as the most economically affected super-regions. India bore the highest absolute economic burden (US$477.5 billion). In contrast, high-SDI countries demonstrated a VLW-to-GDP ratio of just 0.10% (95% UI: 0.09, 0.12). Conclusions Prioritizing TB control in economic policy is urgently needed. Equitable resource allocation to high-burden regions is vital to alleviate the disease's economic consequences and improve global health.