Economic burden of road traffic injuries in Nepal

The evidence of the economic burden of road traffic injuries (RTIs) in Nepal is limited.
The most recent study, conducted in 2008, is now considered outdated because there has been a rapid increase in vehicle numbers and extensive road building over the last decade. This study estimated the current economic costs of RTIs in Nepal, including the direct costs, productivity costs, and valuation of pain, grief, and suffering. An incidence-based cost-of-illness analysis was conducted from a societal perspective, employing a bottom-up approach using secondary data. All
costs incurred by the patients, their family members and cost to society were estimated, with sensitivity analyses to consider uncertainty around the data estimates available. Productivity loss was valued using the human capital approach. The total costs of RTIs in 2017 were estimated at US$122.88 million. Of these, the costs of productivity loss were US$91.57 million (74.52%) and the pain, grief and suffering costs were US$18.31 million (14.90%). The direct non-medical costs were US$11.50 million (9.36%) whereas the direct medical costs were US$1.50 million (1.22%). The economic costs of RTIs increased by threefold since 2008 and are equivalent to 1.52% of the gross national product, indicating the growing national financial burden associated with preventable RTIs.

Keywords: economic burden; economic impact; road traffic injuries; road traffic crashes; Nepal