Cost of illness analysis for typhoid patients in Bwaise subcounty

Abstract

Typhoid affects approximately 27 million people annually of whom 277,000 succumb to the disease and 5.6 billion people are at risk of infection globally. Recent studies on typhoid have focused on epidemiology, risk factors assessment but leaves out the economic implication of the disease. This study therefore aimed at determining the direct and indirect costs related to the care of typhoid fever in Bwaise Sub County. A cross sectional study of cost of illness due to typhoid infection was carried out to collect quantitative and qualitative data from clinics and pharmacies in the Bwaise. A total of 6 medical centers were enrolled in the study and encoded B001 to B006. Overall 101 patients who were diagnosed with typhoid fever in the 6 medical centers were included in the study. Majority were males accounting for 55.45% and 44.55% being females. Mjority in the age group of 16-30 years (63.37%) with the mean age of 27 years. 99% of the patients were outpatients. 85.15% of patients had to pay consultation fee, 100% were charged laboratory fee. The most performed laboratory test combination was widal and malaria Blood smear (37.62%). The direct costs involved in typhoid illness included consultation fee, laboratory test fee, cost of admission for inpatients and cost of medicines prescribed. Cost of medicines constituted the highest direct cost at all clinics making up 3,785,400/4,883,400 (78.7%) of the total direct cost and on average the medicines costed Ugandan shillings 37,479.2±23,509.2. The average total direct cost incurred by patients was 48,350.5±26,294.7 Shillings. On average patients lost approximately 5 days costing them on average about 12,990 per day resulting into a total average indirect loss/cost of approximately 58,950 shillings for the whole period of illness. Therefore, typhoid fever can impose financial burden both directly or indirectly to the patients and caretakers. More efforts should be directed towards preventive measures. regulatory framework established and implemented to regulate and monitor the cost of drugs and other forms of treatment in private