[The cost-effectiveness of installing natural gas as a sanitary alternative for rural communities on the Colombian Caribbean coast burning biomass fuels].
OBJECTIVE
Evaluating the economic impact of natural gas as a sanitary technology regarding respiratory disease associated with indoor air pollution in rural localities on the Colombian Caribbean coast.


METHODS
Three studies were carried out: the burden of respiratory disease was evaluated (acute lower respiratory infection-ALRI and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - COPD), disease costs were studied and the cost effectiveness of natural gas was analysed in terms of reducing indoor air pollution.


RESULTS
Without natural gas in these localities, it would be expected that 498 (477-560) cases of ALRI per year would lead to 149 (119-196) hospitalisations, 6 (4-10) deaths and 7 291 (5,746-9,696) disability adjusted life years (DALY) annually. Furthermore, it is expected that 459 (372-684) cases of COPD per year would lead to 138 (93-239), hospitalisations, 11 deaths (5-26) and 1 500 (973-2 711) DALY annually. Annual disease burden cost was 5,2 (3,8-8,3) million dollars before installing domiciliary natural gas (DNG); most of such cost arose from COPD (around 85 %). ARI and COPD costs after installing DNG would rise to 3,5 (2,5-5,7) million dollars; avoided costs would be 1,6 (1,2-2,6) million dollars, (30 % of disease burden cost without DNG). The incremental cost-effectiveness (ICER) of installing DNG would be 56 (22-74) thousand dollars per life saved and ICER per DALY saved would be 43-66 dollars.


CONCLUSIONS
DNG is a sanitary technology which reduces the burden of indoor air pollution-associated respiratory diseases arising from burning biomass fuel in rural localities in a cost-effective way.
Grupo de Investigaciones en Economía de la Salud, Departamento de Investigaciones Económicas y Sociales-DIES-Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad de Cartagena. nalvis@yahoo.com
Nelson
N
Alvis-Guzmán
Luís
L
Alvis-Estrada
Julio
J
Orozco-Africano
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017691:Caribbean Region; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005579:Fossil Fuels / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012424:Rural Population
D005579:Fossil Fuels