title: Estimating the cost of TB and its social impact on TB patients and their households.
abstract: Illness often poses a significant financial burden on individuals and their households, and tuberculosis (TB) is no exception. Although TB treatment is free in Nigeria, patients are likely to incur costs due to multiple visits during treatment. The purpose of this study was 1) to examine the health-seeking behaviour of TB patients and the costs borne by TB patients in Nigeria, and 2) to assess the social impact of TB disease on TB patients and their families/households. Of 260 TB patients surveyed, the majority (74.7%) were aged between 20 and 49 years. TB patients expended an average of US$52.02 (N = 8323.58, at the rate of US$1 = N = 160) per person on all visits associated with diagnosis and receipt of diagnostic test results. Overall, households experienced a shortfall of about US$57.30 (N = 9174.72) or 24.9% of income loss due to TB illness. Further analysis revealed that 9.7% of TB patients relied on children of school age or below to finance the costs of TB illness.
authors.affiliation: KNCV/TB CARE I Project, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Onazi
authors.affiliation: KNCV/TB CARE I Project, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gidado
authors.affiliation: Research and Data Solutions, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onazi
authors.affiliation: Community Medicine and Primary Care, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Sagamu, Ogan State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuye
authors.affiliation: National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Obasanya
authors.affiliation: United States Agency for International Development, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Odusote
authors.affiliation: KNCV/TB CARE I Project, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gande
keywords: access; cost; household; impact; tuberculosis