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Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Multiple Micronutrient Supplementation (MMS) Compared to Iron Folic Acid (IFA) in
Fitri Alfiani1,2, Auliasari Meita Utami3, Neily Zakiyah3,4
1Doctoral Program in Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung, Indonesia.
Introduction:
Multiple micronutrient deficiencies might increase the adverse outcome during pregnancy and after birth. Considering the WHO recommendations since 2016 and scientific evidence from previous studies that multiple-micronutrient supplementation (MMS) is more effective than iron folic acid (IFA) in improving pregnant women's health, it is imperative to conduct an economic evaluation to assess the cost-effectiveness of MMS compared with IFA.
Methods:
We conducted a systematic review from PubMed and Scopus to identify the cost-effectiveness analyses of MMS compared to IFA for pregnant women up to January 2024. Data extraction included specific study characteristics, input parameters, cost elements, cost-effectiveness results, and key drivers of uncertainty. This systematic review adhered to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.
Results:
After removing 111 duplicates and following the screening process on the title and abstract of 1201 records, resulting in 125 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, a total of 5 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. All included studies were from low- and middle-income countries and demonstrated that MMS compared to IFA for pregnant women is cost-effective and even very cost-effective in some countries. All included studies implemented cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) and estimated its cost-effectiveness using incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) per disability-adjusted life years (DALY) averted. Results suggested that the transition from IFA to MMS was cost-effective. The range of ICER per DALY averted in this study is USD 3.62 to USD 1024, depending on the scenario. Overall, the main determinant influencing cost-effectiveness was the cost of MMS procurement.
Conclusion:
Our findings highlight that transitioning from IFA to MMS in certain conditions has been proven cost-effective, emphasizing this intervention's economic viability. MMS price and micronutrient deficiency-related disease burden are important determinants in assessing cost-effectiveness.
Registration:
PROSPERO CRD42022319470.
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