POLICY AND PRACTICE |
|
Year : 2014 | Volume
: 3
| Issue : 1 | Page : 95-102 |
|
Economic burden of malaria in India: The need for effective spending
Indrani Gupta, Samik Chowdhury
Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, India
Correspondence Address:
Indrani Gupta Health Policy Research Unit, Institute of Economic Growth, University Enclave, Delhi 110007 India
  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2224-3151.206894 PMID: 28607263
|
|
About 95%of India’s population resides in malaria-endemic areas and, according to government sources, 80%of malaria reported in the country is confined to populations residing in tribal, hilly, difficult and inaccessible areas. Using a nationally representative sample, this study has estimated the economic burden of malaria in India by applying the cost-of-illness approach, using the information on cost of treatment, days lost and earnings foregone, from the National Sample Survey data. A sensitivity analysis was carried out, by presenting two alternative scenarios of deaths. The results indicate that the total economic burden from malaria in India could be around US$ 1940 million. The major burden comes from lost earnings (75%), while 24%comes from treatment costs. Since mortality is low, this is not a major source of economic burden of malaria. An analysis of the trend and patterns in public expenditure by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme shows a declining focus of the central government on vector-borne diseases.Also, allocation of financial resources among states does not reflect the burden of malaria, the major vector-borne disease in the country.
|
|
|
|
[FULL TEXT] [PDF]* |
|
 |
|