A cost-effectiveness analysis of three antimalarial treatments for acute, uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Mumbai, India.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Malaria is a major public health problem representing 2.3% of the overall global disease burden. The cost of treatment of malaria continues to rise as older drugs and insecticides become less effective and are replaced by more effective, but also more expensive products.

METHODS:

A post-hoc pharmacoeconomic analysis (direct and indirect costs only) of three antimalarials, chloroquine, mefloquine and co-artemether, was carried out to address the problem of switch to a more expensive first-line antimalarial in the face of growing chloroquine resistance.

RESULTS:

From the perspective of a large public hospital, it was seen that in an area of high grade chloroquine resistance, the total expenditure on patients who fail chloroquine would exceed the excess expenditure on mefloquine when the RII + RIII resistance exceeded 9%.

CONCLUSIONS:

Switch to a more expensive drug like mefloquine as a first-line option would be cost-effective when the moderate-severe chloroquine resistance exceeded 9%.

• Authors: N J Gogtay, V S Kadam, S Desai, K D Kamtekar, S S Dalvi, N A Kshirsagar
• Journal: The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (J Assoc Physicians India) Vol. 51 Pg. 877-9 (Sep 2003) ISSN: 0004-5772 [Print] India
• PMID: 14710972 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antimalarials
• Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination
• Artemisinins
• Drug Combinations
• Ethanolamines
• Fluorenes
• Sesquiterpenes
• Chloroquine
• Mefloquine

Topics

• Antimalarials (economics, therapeutic use)
• Artemether, Lumefantrine Drug Combination
• Artemisinins (economics, therapeutic use)
• Chloroquine (economics, therapeutic use)
• Clinical Trials as Topic (economics)
• Cost-Benefit Analysis
• Drug Combinations
• Economics, Pharmaceutical
• Ethanolamines
• Female
• Fluorenes (economics, therapeutic use)
• Hospitalization (economics)
• Humans
• India
• Malaria, Falciparum (drug therapy, economics)
• Male
• Mefloquine (economics, therapeutic use)
• Sesquiterpenes (economics, therapeutic use)