title: Economic report on the cost of dengue fever in Vietnam: case of a provincial hospital.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness with the world's fastest rate of infection. In 2014, Vietnam had recorded 43,000 cases in 53 provinces, with 28 deaths.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 6-month cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2015 to March 2016 at Cu Chi General Hospital. Cost of illness in this study was estimated under the incidence-based approach from the societal perspective.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average cost per case was US$139.3±$61.7. The average cost per child was higher than per adult, but not significant ($151.0±$63.5 and $132.7±$59.9, respectively;P=0.068). Meanwhile, 50.2% of the total cost was contributed by the cost of hospital bed. According to the sensitivity analysis, if both the costs of the hospital bed and ultrasound were reduced by 10%, the total treatment cost of dengue fever would fall by 5% and 1.6%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is expected to be the basis for investment-plan formulation and fund allocation for the treatment and prevention of dengue. In an attempt to examine the entire socioeconomic encumbrance caused by the dengue virus, a larger scale study targeting both dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever needs to be conducted in several hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Luyen Dinh
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nhat Huy Tran
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Phung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Nguyen Tu Dang
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Le
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Trung Quang
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Vo
keywords: Vietnam; cost of illness; dengue; dengue fever; hospital