Abstract
BackgroundRapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for malaria have been demonstrated to be effective and they should replace microscopy in certain areas.MethodThe cost-effectiveness of five RDT and thick smear microscopy was estimated and compared. Data were collected on Brazilian Extra-Amazon Region. Data sources included the National Malaria Control Programme of the Ministry of Health, the National Healthcare System reimbursement table, laboratory suppliers and scientific literature. The perspective was that of the Brazilian public health system, the analytical horizon was from the start of fever until the diagnostic results provided to patient and the temporal reference was that of year 2010. Two costing methods were produced, based on exclusive-use microscopy or shared-use microscopy. The results were expressed in costs per adequately diagnosed cases in 2010 U.S. dollars. One-way sensitivity analysis was performed considering key model parameters.ResultsIn the cost-effectiveness analysis with exclusive-use microscopy, the RDT CareStart™ was the most cost-effective diagnostic strategy. Microscopy was the most expensive and most effective, with an additional case adequately diagnosed by microscopy costing US$ 35,550.00 in relation to CareStart™. In opposite, in the cost-effectiveness analysis with shared-use microscopy, the thick smear was extremely cost-effective. Introducing into the analytic model with shared-use microscopy a probability for individual access to the diagnosis, assuming a probability of 100% of access for a public health system user to any RDT and, hypothetically, of 85% of access to microscopy, this test saw its effectiveness reduced and was dominated by the RDT CareStart™.ConclusionThe analysis of cost-effectiveness of malaria diagnosis technologies in the Brazilian Extra-Amazon Region depends on the exclusive or shared use of the microscopy. Following the assumptions of this study, shared-use microscopy would be the most cost-effective strategy of the six technologies evaluated. However, if used exclusively for diagnosing malaria, microscopy would be the worst use of resources. Microscopy would not be the most cost-effective strategy, even when structure is shared with other programmes, when the probability of a patient having access to it was reduced. Under these circumstances, the RDT CareStart™ would be the most cost-effective strategy.
Highlights
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for malaria have been demonstrated to be effective and they should replace microscopy in certain areas
Microscopy was the most expensive and most effective, with an additional case adequately diagnosed by microscopy costing US$ 35,550.00 in relation to CareStartTM
If used exclusively for diagnosing malaria, microscopy would be the worst use of resources
Summary
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) for malaria have been demonstrated to be effective and they should replace microscopy in certain areas. The Amazon Region – which includes nine states of the federation – is an area with high endemicity that annually registers 99.8% of the country’s malaria cases, with an Annual Parasitic Incidence (API) of more than 49.9 cases per 1,000 inhabitants in some transmission areas [1,2,3]. The area known as the Extra-Amazon Region – composed of 17 states and the Federal District – registers more than 1,000 new cases per year, including imported and autochthonous ones [4]. In this area, in the year 2010, 1,263 cases of malaria were registered, with 901 (71%) of them caused by Plasmodium vivax [4]. As the Extra-Amazon area receives imported cases, especially from African countries, opportune diagnostic is essential for the appropriate management of the disease, in order to prevent severe manifestations of malaria and deaths caused, especially, by Plasmodium falciparum
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