Unveiling the Public Economic Burden of Migraine in Argentina

Background: Migraine is a prevalent, underdiagnosed, highly debilitating neurological condition that affects individuals’ quality of life and often negatively influences normal daily activities. Objectives: The study objective is to estimate the economic burden of migraine to the Argentine government by assessing the impact of the disease on tax revenue, absenteeism, and social support transfers. Methods: The analysis combines a cross-sectional model utilizing national demographic data and published migraine prevalence rates to estimate the annual burden for the entire migraine-affected cohort, and a longitudinal model assessing the average burden per individual from the age of 40, over a 20-year horizon. A fiscal framework based on generational accounting evaluated the impact of migraine on government finances. Sources of revenue such as direct and indirect taxes were weighted against elements of public expenditure (public sector absenteeism, healthcare expenses, and financial support) and compared with the general population. The effect of migraine on occupational outcomes was sourced from peer-reviewed publications, and costs were sourced from national databases. Results were reported as incremental fiscal consequences (2023 US dollars) and were discounted at 3% annually. Results: The fiscal burden of migraine in Argentina was estimated to be $6505 per individual and $1237 million across the entire migraine population. Annually, 29% of government costs were due to public sector absenteeism, 39% related to healthcare costs, 19% to foregone direct and indirect tax revenue, and 12% to foregone corporation taxes. Additional government transfers represented a minor contribution to the overall fiscal impact of migraine in Argentina. Discussion: The high rate of informal employment is likely to undermine disease burden estimates. Gender disparities were notable, with women bearing 76% of the burden, highlighting the need for gender-specific interventions. Conclusions: This study reveals a significant economic burden of migraine to the Argentinian government, primarily driven by absenteeism, healthcare costs, and foregone tax contributions. Targeted, gender-responsive healthcare and labor policies, especially for sectors with high informal employment, could help reduce these fiscal impacts.