title: Economic costs of fever to households in the middle belt of Ghana.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malaria is one of the main health problems in the sub-Saharan Africa accounting for approximately 198 million morbidity and close to 600,000 mortality cases. Households incur out-of-pocket expenditure for treatment and lose income as a result of not being able to work or care for family members. The main objective of this survey was to assess the economic cost of treating malaria and/or fever with the new ACT to households in the Kintampo districts of Ghana where a health and demographic surveillance systems (KHDSS) are set up to document population dynamics.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a cross-sectional survey conducted from October 2009 to July 2011 using community members' accessed using KHDSS population in the Kintampo area. An estimated sample size of 4226 was randomly selected from the active members of the KHDSS. A structured questionnaire was administered to the selected populates who reported of fever within the last 2 weeks prior to the visit. Data was collected on treatment-seeking behaviour, direct and indirect costs of malaria from the patient perspective.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 4226 households selected, 947 households with 1222 household members had fever out of which 92 % sought treatment outside home; 55 % of these were females. 31.6 % of these patients sought care from chemical shops. A mean amount of GHS 4.2 (US$2.76) and GHS 18.0 (US$11.84) were incurred by households as direct and indirect cost respectively. On average a household incurred a total cost of GHS 22.2 (US$14.61) per patient per episode. Total economic cost was lowest for those in the highest quintile and highest for those in the middle quintile.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The total cost of treating fever/malaria episode is relatively high in the study area considering the poverty levels in Ghana. The NHIS has positively influenced health-seeking behaviours and reduced the financial burden of seeking care for those that are insured.
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. theresa.tawiah@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Theresa
authors: T
authors: Tawiah
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. kwakupoku.asante@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Kwaku Poku
authors: KP
authors: Asante
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. rebecca.dwommoh@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Rebecca Akua
authors: RA
authors: Dwommoh
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. anthony.kwarteng@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Kwarteng
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. stephaney.gyaase@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Stephaney
authors: S
authors: Gyaase
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. emmanuel.mahama@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Emmanuel
authors: E
authors: Mahama
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. livesy.abokyi@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Livesy
authors: L
authors: Abokyi
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. seeba.ae@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Seeba
authors: S
authors: Amenga-Etego
authors: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E7HT, UK. kristian.hansen@lshtm.ac.uk.
authors: Kristian
authors: K
authors: Hansen
authors: School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. akweongo@gmail.com.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Akweongo
authors: Kintampo Health Research Centre, P. O. Box 200, Kintampo, Ghana. seth.owusu-agyei@kintampo-hrc.org.
authors: Seth
authors: S
authors: Owusu-Agyei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000191:economics*; D005869:Ghana; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055815:Young Adult