Costs of Influenza Illness and Acute Respiratory Infections by Household Income Level: Catastrophic Health Expenditures and Implications for Health Equity.

Background: Seasonal influenza illness and acute respiratory infections can impose a substantial economic burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We assessed the cost of influenza illness and acute respiratory infections across household income strata.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a prior systematic review of costs of influenza and other respiratory illnesses in LMICs and contacted authors to obtain data on cost of illness (COI) for laboratory-confirmed influenza-like illness and acute respiratory infection.