Examining catastrophic costs and benefit incidence of subsidized antiretroviral treatment (ART) programme in south-east Nigeria.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the extent to which costs of subsidized antiretrovirals treatment (ART) programmes are catastrophic and the benefit incidence that accrues to different population groups.


METHODS
Data on expenditures to patients for receiving treatment from a government subsidized ART clinic was collected using a questionnaire. The patient costs excluded time and other indirect costs. Catastrophic cost was determined as the percentage of total expenditure on ART treatment as a proportion of household non-food expenditures on essential items.


RESULTS
On average, patients spent 990 Naira (US$ 8.3) on antiretroviral (ARV) drugs per month. They also spent an average of $8.2 on other drugs per month. However, people that bought ARV drugs from elsewhere other than the ART clinic spent an average of $88.8 per month. Patients spent an average of $95.1 on laboratory tests per month. Subsidized ARV drugs depleted 9.8% of total household expenditure, other drugs (e.g. for opportunistic infections) depleted 9.7%, ARV drugs from elsewhere depleted 105%, investigations depleted 112.9% and total expenditure depleted 243.2%. The level of catastrophe was generally more with females, rural dwellers and most poor patients. Females and urbanites had more benefit incidence than males and rural dwellers.


CONCLUSIONS
Subsidized ART programme lowers the cost of ARV drugs but other major costs are still incurred, which make the overall cost of accessing and consuming ART treatment to be excessive and catastrophic. The costs of laboratory tests and other drugs should be subsidized and there should also be targeting of ART programme to ensure that more rural dwellers and the most-poor people have increased benefit incidence.
Onwujekwe
Obinna
O
Department of Health Administration and Management, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria. Onwujekwe@yahoo.co.uk
Dike
Nkem
N
Chukwuka
Chinwe
C
Uzochukwu
Benjamin
B
Onyedum
Cajetan
C
Onoka
Chima
C
Ichoku
Hyacinth
H
D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000191:economics; D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D016527:Drug Costs; D005260:Female; D005380:Financing, Government; D006078:Government Programs / Q000191:economics*; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D044966:Anti-Retroviral Agents