Malaria takes up to 25% of health facility’s annual budget —Study

In a new study, researchers have said that the treatment of uncomplicated malaria consumed up to 25 per cent of a public health facility’s annual budget, with personnel accounting for a considerable proportion of the total expenditure for uncomplicated malaria alone in Nigeria.

The researchers, in a study to ascertain the cost of treating the disease in hospitals or health facilities, said that a high incidence of presumptive diagnosis and treatment in Nigeria had contributed significantly to the high treatment costs for malaria in the country.

They found that nearly half of outpatient visits to the facility were treated for uncomplicated malaria, necessitating attention regarding appropriate management for enhanced efficiency.

In this study, the researchers indicated that N28.723 million (US$182,953.65) were spent by the facility on the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, at a rate of US$31.49 per case, representing approximately 25 per cent of the hospital’s total expenditure in the study year.

Personnel accounted for over 82.5 per cent of total expenditure, followed by antimalarial medicines at 6.6 per cent. More than 45 per cent of outpatients visits were for uncomplicated malaria.

Changes in personnel costs, drug prices and malaria prevalence significantly impacted on the study results, indicating the need for improved efficiency in the use of hospital resources.

Malaria treatment currently consumes a considerable amount of resources in the facility, driven mainly by personnel cost and a high proportion of malaria cases.

The 2017 study, published in the journal, PharmacoEconomics, included Charles C. Ezenduka; Daniel Resende Falleiros and Brian B. Godman.

It was carried out at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Medical Centre (NAUMC), Awka, Nigeria, which provides primary and secondary healthcare services to the university community of over 50,000 people, mainly staff and students.

In the study, hospital costs were estimated from a provider perspective, applying a standard costing procedure. Also, costs attributable to malaria treatment were calculated based on the proportion of malaria cases to total outpatient visits.

Malaria is a major public health concern in sub-Sahara Africa. It is a leading cause of avoidable disability and death, especially among children. This is particularly the case in Nigeria, which is said to account for a quarter of the burden of malaria in Africa.

The high cost of care has been identified as a major barrier to access effective malaria treatment, driving patients to seek care from less effective sources.

Whilst considerable attention has been focused on household costs of malaria treatment, information regarding facility costs has not been adequately explored.

Detailed information on the hospital or health facility cost will provide a more effective tool for decision making for appropriate resource allocation decisions. This is particularly important in Nigeria given its high burden of malaria relative to other African countries and the lack of comprehensive costing analyses.