Is there a need to mitigate the social and financial consequences of tuberculosis at the individual and household level?
This paper reviews evidence on social and economic costs of tuberculosis. Key socio-economic consequences include stigma, social isolation, increased out-of-pocket expenditures for medical and non-medical costs and reduced income. Many of the financing methods that households use have long-term negative impacts and the poor are most vulnerable to these costs. Together, these negative consequences adversely affect TB control, in terms of delayed diagnosis, delayed initiation of treatment, suboptimal adherence and failure to complete treatment, as well as the coping and well being of the individual and household. There are two ways to reduce treatment costs for the patient; one can either reduce the direct and indirect costs of seeking a diagnosis and obtaining treatment and/or provide income transfers to offset some of those costs incurred. Social transfers in the form of food, cash or vouchers can mitigate the negative effects by enabling the individual to seek a diagnosis, protecting minimum food expenditures, reducing the need to accumulate debt and reduce productive assets and reducing the negative impacts on other household members, particularly young children and school-age children.
Nutrition and HIV/AIDS Policy, Policy and Strategy Division, World Food Programme, Via. G. Viola 68, Parco dei Medici, 00148, Rome, Italy, nils.grede@wfp.org.
Nils
N
Grede
Joan M
JM
Claros
Saskia
S
de Pee
Martin
M
Bloem
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D017048:Health Care Costs; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000191:economics*