TY - JOUR KW - Health care economics KW - Parasitic Infections KW - Population screening AU - Marraffa P AU - Dentato M AU - Nurchis MC AU - Angheben A AU - Olivo L AU - Barbera G AU - Damiani G AU - Gianino MM AB -
Chagas disease (CD) is an emerging public health concern in Europe. In non-endemic countries, congenital transmission is the main route of new infections. Italy is the second-largest host country in Europe for Latin American migrants and the prevalence of the disease is estimated around 3.5%. The aim is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a congenital CD screening program in pregnant women at risk of infection living in Italy and their newborns. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of the Italian National Health Service, comparing a screening scenario with a no-screening scenario. A Bayesian decision tree model with a lifetime horizon was developed. In the base-case analysis, the screening strategy yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €15,193 per quality-adjusted life year gained (95% CI: €14,885–€15,552), falling well within the accepted cost-effectiveness threshold (€30,000–€50,000) in Italy. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of these findings. Here we show that screening for congenital CD is a cost-effective strategy that improves health outcomes and aligns with international public health priorities. Our findings support the implementation of a national screening program integrated within existing maternal care pathways, contributing to the prevention of neglected tropical diseases and the promotion of migrant health.
BT - Nature Communications DO - 10.1038/s41467-025-63760-0 IS - 1 LA - ENG M3 - Article N2 -Chagas disease (CD) is an emerging public health concern in Europe. In non-endemic countries, congenital transmission is the main route of new infections. Italy is the second-largest host country in Europe for Latin American migrants and the prevalence of the disease is estimated around 3.5%. The aim is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a congenital CD screening program in pregnant women at risk of infection living in Italy and their newborns. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis from the perspective of the Italian National Health Service, comparing a screening scenario with a no-screening scenario. A Bayesian decision tree model with a lifetime horizon was developed. In the base-case analysis, the screening strategy yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €15,193 per quality-adjusted life year gained (95% CI: €14,885–€15,552), falling well within the accepted cost-effectiveness threshold (€30,000–€50,000) in Italy. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of these findings. Here we show that screening for congenital CD is a cost-effective strategy that improves health outcomes and aligns with international public health priorities. Our findings support the implementation of a national screening program integrated within existing maternal care pathways, contributing to the prevention of neglected tropical diseases and the promotion of migrant health.
PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC PY - 2025 SP - 1 EP - 11 T2 - Nature Communications TI - Cost-effectiveness analysis of screening for congenital Chagas disease in a non-endemic area UR - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63760-0.pdf VL - 16 SN - 2041-1723 ER -