PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 632 - 9 Jul 2011

Meningitis epidemic costs"significant" in Burkina Faso

The costs associated with meningitis epidemics are"significant" for a low-income country like Burkina Faso,say researchers from France and Burkina Faso.However, "equally significant" is the disruptive effect ofmanaging meningitis vaccination campaigns on theadministration of the official health system, theycontend.

A survey was conducted at the level of the healthsystem to assess the cost and impacts to the system ofthe 2007 epidemic bacterial meningitis season inBurkina Faso. The researchers then used amicroeconomic approach to estimate direct medical andnon-medical costs for households and the public healthsystem, and indirect costs for households.

This analysis showed that the total national cost of themeningitis epidemic was $US9.4 million ($0.69 percapita). Costs to the health system totalled $7.1 million,with 85.6% of this total attributable to reactivevaccination campaigns. The remaining $2.3 million incosts was borne by households of meningitis cases. Theresearchers estimate the mean cost per personvaccinated at $1.45, while the mean cost of managingone meningitis case was $116.30 including householdcosts, and $26.40 when only health sector costs wereincluded.

In addition to these costs, the meningitis epidemicdisrupted all health services "from national tooperational levels", say the researchers, with a largeincrease in medical consultations accounting for most ofthis burden.Colombini A, et al. Costs and impact of meningitis epidemics for the public healthsystem in Burkina Faso. Vaccine : 2 Jun 2011. Available from: URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.05.058 803056635

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PharmacoEconomics & Outcomes News 9 Jul 2011 No. 6321173-5503/10/0632-0001/$14.95 © 2010 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved