Counting the cost of type 2 diabetes in Vanuatu.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the health system costs, cost to people with diabetes and their carers, and impact on quality of life associated with type 2 diabetes in Vanuatu.


METHODS
A cross-sectional paper based survey was administered to 199 people with type 2 diabetes as part of a larger diabetes project.


RESULTS
There were 172 respondents (86% response rate) with a mean age of 56 years (mean duration of diabetes 8 years, 106 females; 67 unemployed). Over the preceding year there were 2352 outpatient visits for health care totalling 442,400 vatu ($4020 USD); 140 overnight hospital stays totalling 1,383,620 vatu ($12,580 USD); and prescription medications costing 3220 vatu/person ($29.20 USD). Major out-of-pocket costs for individuals were the over-the-counter medications totalling 6600 vatu/person/year ($60 USD) for 31 people (18%); transport at 1980 vatu/person/year ($18.00 USD) for 110 people (64%) and special diets for 38 people (22%) costing 36,480 vatu/person ($332 USD). Quality of life was 91/100 on the EQ-5D visual analogue scale.


CONCLUSIONS
Given that diabetes in Vanuatu is likely to be significantly under-diagnosed and under-treated the current costs, while substantial are artificially low but are set to rise sharply with increased awareness of diabetes and growing rates of obesity.
Falconer
Douglas George
DG
The Diabetes Unit, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Buckley
Alexandra
A
Colagiuri
Ruth
R
D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010139:Pacific Islands; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires