Private demand for cholera vaccines in rural Matlab, Bangladesh.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate household willingness to pay (WTP) for cholera vaccines in a rural area of Bangladesh, which had participated in a 1985 oral cholera vaccine trial.


METHODS
A contingent valuation study was undertaken in Matlab, Bangladesh in summer 2005. All respondents (N=591) received a description of a cholera vaccine that was 50% effective for 3 years and had negligible side effects. Respondents were asked how many vaccines they would purchase for their household at randomly pre-assigned prices. Negative binomial regression models were used to estimate the number of vaccines demanded and to calculate average WTP.


RESULTS
On average, respondents were willing to pay about US$ 9.50 to purchase vaccines for all members of their household (i.e. US$ 1.70 per vaccine). Average WTP per person is US$ 2.40 for young children (1-4 years), US$ 1.20 for school-age children, and US$ 1.05 for adults. Median WTP estimates are significantly smaller: US$ 1.00 for young children, US$ 0.05 for schoolchildren, and US$ 0 for adults.


CONCLUSIONS
There is significant demand for cholera vaccines in Matlab at low prices. Recent herd protection research suggests that unvaccinated persons would also experience reduced incidence via indirect effects at low coverage rates associated with moderate vaccine prices.
Islam
Ziaul
Z
Health Systems & Infectious Diseases Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR,B), Dhaka, Bangladesh. zia@icddrb.org
Maskery
Brian
B
Nyamete
Andrew
A
Horowitz
Mark S
MS
Yunus
Mohammad
M
Whittington
Dale
D
D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D022121:Cholera Vaccines / Q000191:economics* / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D003132:Commerce; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017149:Private Sector; D014734:Vibrio cholerae / Q000276:immunology*