Socio-economic implication of multi-drug resistant malaria in the community; how prepared is Nigeria for this emerging problem?
Chukwuani, C.M.
West African Journal of Medicine 18(4): 303-306
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0189-160X PMID: 10734797 Document Number: 508980
The control of faciparum malaria is becoming increasingly challenging in many endemic areas of the world, including Nigeria, due to the development of resistance to chloroquine and other anti-malarial drugs. Current rising health care costs demands that any preventive medicine and/or disease control program be judged according to its economic viability. As has been previously noted, any successful control of malaria will depend on socio-economic factors that influence its prevalence and management in the community. Cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness analysis of proposed and current intervention strategic are thus justified. This paper presents a review of studies involving socio-economic evaluation of the morbidity and mortality consequences of malaria. Studies involving health facility utilization profile for malaria in Nigeria and elsewhere are also reviewed. The review finds no studies evaluating or determining an appropriate economic model/framework for malaria control in Nigeria and concludes that as enormous and challenging the problem of multi-drug resistant malaria is, it can still be contained if control and management strategies are adopted based on sound and practical socio-economic judgement.