The economic burden of meningitis to households in Kassena-Nankana district of northern Ghana
Abstract
Objective
To estimate the direct and indirect costs of meningitis to households in the Kassena-Nankana District of Ghana.
Methods
A Cost of illness (COI) survey was conducted between 2010 and 2011. The COI was computed from a retrospective review of 80 meningitis cases answers to questions about direct medical costs, direct non-medical costs incurred and productivity losses due to recent meningitis incident.
Results
The average direct and indirect costs of treating meningitis in the
district was GH垄152.55 (US$101.7) per household. This is equivalent to
about two months minimum wage earned by Ghanaians in unskilled paid jobs
in 2009. Households lost 29 days of work per meningitis case and thus
those in minimum wage paid jobs lost a monthly minimum wage of GH垄76.85
(US$51.23) due to the illness. Patients who were insured spent an
average of GH垄38.5 (US$25.67) in direct medical costs whiles the
uninsured patients spent as much as GH垄177.9 (US$118.6) per case.
Patients with sequelae incurred additional costs of GH垄22.63 (US$15.08)
per case. The least poor were more exposed to meningitis than the
poorest.
Conclusion
Meningitis is a debilitating but preventable disease that affects people
living in the Sahel and in poorer conditions. The cost of meningitis
treatment may further lead to impoverishment for these households.
Widespread mass vaccination will save households' an equivalent of
GH垄175.18 (US$117) and impairment due to meningitis.
Citation
Akweongo, P.; Hayden, M.H.; Dalaba, M. The Economic Burden of Meningitis to Households in Kassena-Nankana District of Northern Ghana. PLoS ONE (2013) 8 (11) e79880. [DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079880]