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The private costs of HIV/AIDS
R D Bowie1, M I Tobias, T Williams
1Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine, Wellington.
Aim:
To identify and, where possible, measure and value the private costs related to HIV/AIDS, that is, those costs that fall on the person with HIV/AIDS and the family/household/informal caregivers.
Method:
Twenty-five people living with HIV - ranging from asymptomatic seropositive people, to people with AIDS - were followed prospectively to obtain information concerning the private costs (broadly defined) incurred. The participants resided in the Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch areas.
Results:
Private direct costs rise steeply as the illness progresses, from around $100 per month for asymptomatic people to around $400 per month for people with AIDS. Both indirect costs (foregone income) and intangibles (measured by a range of indicators) were also considerable.
Conclusion:
The private costs of HIV/AIDS, defined in terms of direct, indirect and intangible costs, are significant and burdensome. Costing studies which ignore them will conceal, confuse and mislead.