Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/123527
Title: Patients' costs, socio-economic and health system aspects associated with malaria in pregnancy in an endemic area of Colombia
Author: Sicuri, Elisa
Bardají, Azucena
Sanz, Sergi
Alonso, Sergi
Fernandes, Silke
Hanson, Kara
Arévalo-Herrera, Myriam
Menéndez, Clara
Keywords: Malària
Embaràs
Malaria
Pregnancy
Issue Date: 2-May-2018
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Abstract: Malaria in pregnancy threatens birth outcomes and the health of women and their newborns. This is also the case in low transmission areas, such as Colombia, where Plasmodium vivax is the dominant parasite species. Within the Colombian health system, which underwent major reforms in the 90s, malaria treatment is provided free of charge to patients. However, patients still incur costs, such as transportation and value of time lost due to the disease. We estimated such costs among 40 pregnant women with clinical malaria (30% Plasmodium falciparum, 70% Plasmodium vivax) in the municipality of Tierralta, Northern Colombia. In a cross-sectional study, women were interviewed after an outpatient or inpatient laboratory confirmed malaria episode. Women were asked to report all types of cost incurred before (including prevention), during and immediately after the contact with the health facility. Median total cost was over 16US$ for an outpatient visit, rising to nearly 30US$ if other treatments were sought before reaching the health facility. Median total inpatient cost was 26US$ or 54US$ depending on whether costs incurred prior to admission were excluded or included. For both outpatients and inpatients, direct costs were largely due to transportation and indirect costs constituted the largest share of total costs. Estimated costs are likely to represent only one of the constraints that women face when seeking treatment in an area characterized, at the time of the study, by armed conflict, displacement, and high vulnerability of indigenous women, the group at highest risk of malaria. Importantly, the Colombian peace process, which culminated with the cease-fire in August 2016, may have a positive impact on achieving universal access to healthcare in conflict areas. The current study can inform malaria elimination initiatives in Colombia.
Note: Reproducció del document publicat a: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006431
It is part of: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2018, vol. 12, num. 5, p. e0006431
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/123527
Related resource: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0006431
ISSN: 1935-2727
Appears in Collections:Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)
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