Cost-effectiveness of a successful schistosomiasis control programme in Cambodia (1995-2006)

Following preventive chemotherapy covering the entire population in the two endemic regions in Cambodia, the prevalence of schistosomiasis dropped from 77% in 1995 to 0.5% in 2003. The study presented here reports on the running cost of the control programme, and evaluates its cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit. Financial costs were assessed using data taken from the annual reports of the National Center for Malaria Control, the Cambodian institution responsible for the control activities. Other data were collected from interviews with provincial and district staff. The analysis was conducted from the point of views of the Cambodian Ministry of Health and that of the society, and the comparison was undertaken using the "do-nothing" option. The cost to treat an individual for the 9 years period of the implementation phase was 9.22 USD (1.02 per year), the cost for each severe infection avoided was 61.50 USD and 6531 USD for each death avoided. The drug cost corresponds on average to 17.34% of the programme's implementation cost. The cost of bringing one severely infected individual of productive age to complete productivity, was estimated at 114 USD and for 1 USD invested in the programme the return in increased productivity, for the economic system, was estimated to be 3.85 USD. The control programme demonstrated significant economical advantages. However, its costs are too high to be entirely supported by the Cambodian Ministry of Health.