Abstract
IntroductionMalaria exerts a significant economic burden on health care providers and households and our study attempts to make claims on the cost effectiveness of artesunate against quinine in patients under 14 years of age in Zambia. Also, to find the average total costs involved in the treatment of severe malaria in children and their impact on household expenditure.MethodsCost-effectiveness analysis of severe malaria treatment was conducted from a healthcare provider perspective using a Markov model. Standard costing was performed for the identification, measurement and assessment phases with data from quantification reports for anti-malaria commodities as these documents provides drug procurement costs from suppliers and freight costs. Average and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were estimated and uncertainties were assessed through probabilistic sensitivity analysis.ResultsIn Zambia severe malaria in children has been shown to account for over 45% of the total monthly curative healthcare costs incurred by households compared to the mean per capita monthly income. The cost of treating severe malaria depleted 7.67% of the monthly average household income. According, to the cost effectiveness analysis the of artesunate with quinine the ICER was $105 per death averted.ConclusionThe use of artesunate over quinine in the treatment of severe malaria in children under 14 years is a highly cost-effective strategy for the healthcare provider in Zambia.
Highlights
Malaria exerts a significant economic burden on health care providers and households and our study attempts to make claims on the cost effectiveness of artesunate against quinine in patients under 14 years of age in Zambia
According to our research, the outcomes indicated on average households spend $ 23.45 for an episode of severe malaria accounting for over 45% of the total monthly curative healthcare costs incurred by households compared to the mean per capita monthly income
Costs involved in each severe malaria episode for children under 14 years revealed on average about $10.5 was incurred by the caregivers’ due to productivity loss days of work and $7.75 for direct medical costs
Summary
Malaria exerts a significant economic burden on health care providers and households and our study attempts to make claims on the cost effectiveness of artesunate against quinine in patients under 14 years of age in Zambia. In the current NMSP (2017–2021), the government of Zambia through the ministry of health and the national malaria elimination program (NMEP) adopted an ambitious agenda to eliminate malaria through deployment of the above outlined interventions, inclusion of new tools and innovations and strengthening of routine surveillance at all levels. In the recent past the NMEP has provided an annual sustained supply of more than 15 million treatment courses of the recommended artemisinin combination therapies and over 20 million rapid diagnostic tests. This is in addition to ensuring availability of more than 5.5 million tablets for intermittent presumptive treatment for pregnant women
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
