The Financial and Social Impact of Thalassemia and Its Treatment in Iran

Background: health care funders are struggling to meet the rising costs of medical treatments. thalassemia is a costly disease. we aimed to examine the economic burden of thalassemia treatment in iran. methods: all thalassemic patients, registered at two hematology clinics of tabriz in 2009 were invited to the study. those who consented (100 patients) completed a simple questionnaire. results: the total cost of treating thalassemia was €1,730.52 per patient/year. total annual direct cost was €146,621.49 and indirect cost was €26430.22 for 100 patients. blood transfusion and nursing charges were the most costly expenditures. it is estimated that up to €26 million/year is spent for treatment of all registered thalassemic patients in iran. conclusion: this study showed that a large amount of money is paid for thalassemia treatment by the government and patients. when the income of an average iranian is considered, the magnitude of problem emerges