Invasive pneumococcal disease in Finland: New research reveals significant health and economic burden

Key findings

• High Mortality Rate: The 30-day case fatality rate for all adults with IPD was nearly 10%, rising sharply with age. Among those aged 85 and older, the rate reached 26.7%.
• Significant healthcare costs: The immediate healthcare costs associated with IPD averaged approximately €5.2 million per year. The average cost per episode was estimated at €9,100.
• Impact of aging population: As Finland’s population ages, the burden of IPD and its associated costs is expected to increase further.
• Hospitalization as main cost driver: Inpatient care accounted for 94% of the total costs related to IPD episodes.
• Pandemic impact: Annual costs were higher before the COVID-19 pandemic (on average €6.9 million, 2016–2019) and decreased during the pandemic years (€3.0 million, 2020–2022), reflecting reduced incidence due to public health restrictions.

These findings underscore the urgent need for improved prevention strategies and greater investment in adult vaccination programs. For example, despite the burden, less than 10% of Finnish adults were vaccinated against pneumococcal disease in 2018.

About the Study

The study, “Healthcare resource use and costs associated with episodes of laboratory confirmed invasive pneumococcal disease in adults in Finland 2016–2022,” analysed national healthcare registry data to assess the incidence, mortality, and costs of IPD. The research was based on laboratory-confirmed cases identified through Finland’s national infectious disease registry and linked with healthcare resource use data from national hospital and outpatient care registers.

The study, conducted by Oriola, provides solid, real-world evidence to inform healthcare policy and resource allocation for infectious disease prevention.

For more details, the full article is available in Vaccine (Elsevier)

Oriola’s expertise: turning data into actionable insights

At Oriola Advisory Services, we specialize in transforming real-world data into actionable insights for the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. Our research services include:

• Registry data analysis
• Cost-effectiveness and budget impact studies
• Epidemiological and burden-of-disease research
• Tailored market access solutions
• Patient surveys using our proprietary digital platform

By harnessing high-quality registry data and advanced analytics, we help our clients demonstrate the value of their therapies, support evidence-based decision-making, and optimize market access strategies.

For more information, welcome to contact us at research@oriola.com