Cost Analysis of Malaria Patients in Taikkyi Township Myanmar

Abstract

A hospital and clinic-based study was conducted in one malaria endemic area, Taikkyi Township, Yangon Division, Myanmar, for analysis of cost incurred by different types of malaria cases and the factors influencing the cost of illness from July to October 1995. A total of 100 patients admitted to hospital and 100 patients receiving ambulatory' care from malaria clinics were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Total cost of one episode of malaria was estimated to be kyats 559 for ambulatory care, kyats 2582 for an uncomplicated admitted case, kyats 4056 for one episode of cerebral malaria, kyats 4568 for one episode of other severe and complicated malaria and kyats 4758 for one episode of malaria with other disease. This study showed that the cost of illness for patients attending outpatient malaria clinics who received early diagnosis and prompt treatment was four to seven times cheaper than the cost of illness for hospitalized malaria cases. Multivariate analysis revealed the factors that contributed to high cost of care. Duration of illness before getting any type of treatment w as the key factor that contributed to high or low cost of care. Long duration of illness before getting any type of treatment can lead to high malaria parasite density, long duration of actual illness and high total attendance cost. Therefore, it is recommended that people from malaria endemic areas should be informed to seek early treatment from health staff, and primary' health care services should be made accessible to people who live in malaria endemic areas. The information obtained from this study will be useful in planning future malaria control programs and influencing policy makers to focus on timely and effective treatment of non-severe cases, which can save a large amount of economic loss due to treatment of severe malaria.

Keywords

Cost analysis total cost multivariate analysis malaria patients

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

1. Vector Borne Disease Control Project. National Health Plan (1996–2001): Vector Borne Disease Control Project Proposal. Yangon, Myanmar: Department of Health, 1996.

2. Vector Borne Disease Control Project. Annual Report on Vector Borne Disease Control Program. Yangon, Myanmar: Department of Health, 1993.

3. Ministry of Health. The Government of Union of Myanmar, National Health Plan (1996–2001), Planning Document Series 3. Yangon, Myanmar: Department of Planning and Statistics, Ministry of Health, December 1996.

4. Ettling MB , Shepard DS . Economic cost of malaria in Rwanda. Trop Med Parasitol 1991; 42 (3): 214–8.

5. World Health Organization. A global strategy for Malaria Control. Geneva: WHO 1993

6. Fungladda W , S Sornmani. Health Behavior, Treatment seeking behavior and cost of treatment for patients visiting malaria clinic in Western Thailand. South East Asia J Trop Med Public Health 1986; 17: 379–85.

7. Drummond Michael F , Stoddart GL , Torrance GW . Methods for the Economic Evaluation of Health Care Programmes (second edition): Cost Analysis. Oxford New York Toronto: Oxford University Press 1997:52–92.

8. Khin Mg Mg. Township Health Profile, 1994. Taikkyi, Yangon, Myanmar: Township Health Department, Taikkyi, 1995.

9. Vector Borne Disease Control Project. Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Malaria in Myanmar. Yangon, Myanmar: Department of Health, 1994.

10.

10. Lawnga SK , Cho-Yook Tye. Teaching Health Statistics, Twenty Lessons and Seminar Outline. Geneva: WHO 1989.

11.

11. Juver J . The cost of a campaign against malaria, general consideration. Bull Soe Pathol Exot 1990; 83 (2): 211–6.

12.

12. Kaewsonthi S. Internal and external cost of malaria surveillance in Thailand. Social and Economic Research Project Report, No.6, WHO 1989.

13.

13. Sauerborn R , Shepard DS , Ettling MB , Brinkmann U , Nougtara A , Diesdeld HJ . Estimating the Direct and Indirect Economic Costs of Malaria in Rural District of Burkina Faso. Trop Med Parasitol 1991; 42 (3): 219–23.

14.

14. Shepard DS , Ettling MB , Brinkmann U , Sauerborn R . Economic Cost of Malaria in Africa, Trop Med Parasitol 1991; 42 (3): 199–203.

15.

15. Myanmar Pharmaceutical Factory. Existing Selling Price List for Drugs. Yangon, Myanmar, Myanmar: Myanmar Pharmaceutical Factory, 1995.