Cost-effectiveness of screening methods for urinary schistosomiasis in a school-based control programme in Ibadan, Nigeria.
OBJECTIVE
To carry out a comparative cost-effectiveness analysis of screening methods for urinary schistosomiasis; terminal haematuria, unqualified haematuria, dysuria, visual urine examination and chemical reagent strip technique, in a school-based control programme.


METHODS
Estimation of costs and determination of cost-effect ratios of the screening methods applied in a school-based screening and treatment programme, from the perspective of a programme manager.


METHODS
A junior secondary school in Ibadan, Nigeria.


METHODS
Cost per number of cases correctly diagnosed.


RESULTS
Unqualified haematuria was found to be the most cost-effective method costing N51.06 (US$ 2.16) to diagnose a case correctly, followed by terminal haematuria N58.91 (US$ 2.50) and dysuria N84.24 (US$ 3.57). Despite the relatively high input costs of chemical reagent strip technique over visual urine examination (N22.12 (US$ 0.94) per student vs. N6.44 (US$ 0.27) per student), it was found to be more cost effective costing N304.56 (US$ 12.91) to diagnose a case correctly than visual examination of urine cost of N317.58 (US$ 13.46) per correct case diagnosed.


CONCLUSIONS
From the viewpoint of a programme manager, interview method of screening by asking for blood in the urine remains the most efficient means of screening for urinary schistosomiasis in school-based control programmes in our environment.
Fatiregun
Akinola Ayoola
AA
Department of Epidemiology, Medical Statistics and Environmental Health, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. akinfati@yahoo.com
Osungbade
Kayode O
KO
Olumide
Aderonke E
AE
D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D009549:Nigeria; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012574:Schools