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- Title
The costs and effects of a nationwide insecticide-treated net programme: the case of Malawi.
- Authors
Stevens, Warren; Wiseman, Virginia; Ortiz, Juan; Chavasse, Desmond
- Abstract
Background: Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are a proven intervention to reduce the burden of malaria, yet there remains a debate as to the best method of ensuring they are universally utilized. This study is a cost-effectiveness analysis of an intervention in Malawi that started in 1998, in Blantyre district, before expanding nationwide. Over the 5-year period, 1.5 million ITNs were sold. Methods: The costs were calculated retrospectively through analysis of expenditure data. Costs and effects were measured as cost per treated-net year (cost/TNY) and cost per net distributed. Results: The mean cost/TNY was calculated at $4.41, and the mean cost/ITN distributed at $2.63. It also shows evidence of economies of scale, with the cost/TNY falling from $7.69 in year one (72,196 ITN) to $3.44 in year five (720,577 ITN). Cost/ITN distributed dropped from $5.04 to $1.92. Conclusion: Combining targeting and social marketing has the potential of being both costeffective and capable of achieving high levels of coverage, and it is possible that increasing returns to scale can be achieved.
- Subjects
MALAWI; MALARIA prevention equipment; PREVENTIVE medicine; PUBLIC health; SOCIAL marketing
- Publication
Malaria Journal, 2005, Vol 4, p22
- ISSN
1475-2875
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/1475-2875-4-22