Illness Cost of Renal Disease Due to Cadmium Exposure in Contaminated Area in Mae Sot, Tak Province

Abstract

An increasing body of epidemiologic evidence supports the association between high urinary cadmium level and renal dysfunction among population in Mae Sot, Tak province. Illness costs of renal disease are substantial. However, few studies have assessed illness costs due to cadmium exposure. The objective of this study was to estimate the illness costs attributable to cadmium in contaminated villages in Mae sot, Tak province in the year 2013.We employed the population attributed fraction (PAF) which is generally defined as the proportion of a disease in a population that is attributable to cadmium exposure. PAF can be calculated from the prevalence of renal disease and relative risk. The number of renal patients attributable to cadmium was calculated as the product of PAF and the total number of renal patients. The costs of cadmium were further estimated by multiplying the number of renal patients attributable to cadmium by unit cost per patient. We found that cadmium exposure was responsible for31 percent of renal diseases among population age ≥ 45 years in Maesot, Tak. Costs attributable to cadmium were estimated at 97,320 Baht per person and 15,274,034 Baht per year. The major component of total cost was direct cost, accounted for 61 percent. This study highlights the economic impact of environmental cadmium exposure in Maesot was substantial. Effective policies and interventions to reduce the impact of cadmium are required.