Economic analysis of malaria control for migrant workers in eastern Thailand.
A randomized, double-blind field trial was carried out to compare the economic impact of permethrin-treated nets with that of untreated nets as a method of malaria control. The study was conducted in 261 long-term migrant workers and 138 seasonal agricultural migrant workers in the eastern rural areas known to be highly endemic for multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum infection. One hundred and twenty-six longterm migrants and 59 seasonal migrants used treated nets, while 135 and 79, respectively, used untreated nets. The impregnated-nets program was cost-saving as well as offering improved effectiveness. The net benefit of using a treated net was US$1.17 per worker from the Malaria Division's perspective and US$1.61 per worker from the worker viewpoint. The use of impregnated nets with large-scale primary health care programs likely will be the most cost-effective and cost-beneficial method for controlling malaria in eastern Thailand.
Kamolratanakul
P
P
Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Dhanamun
B
B
Prasittisuk
C
C
Grisso
J A
JA
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000191:economics*; D013785:Thailand; D014171:Transients and Migrants