ArticleMalaria journal2022
A cost analysis of the diagnosis and treatment of malaria at public health facilities and communities in three districts in Rwanda.
Article in Malaria journal, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- The economic burden of malaria in Africa: a systematic review of cost of illness studies.Malaria journal · 2025Pooled it
- Costs and cost-effectiveness of community health worker programs focussed on HIV, TB and malaria infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries (2015-2024): A scoping literature review.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Factors associated with acute kidney injury and outcomes in patients with malaria in a district hospital in Rwanda.African health sciences · 2024Article
- Manual correction of genome annotation improved alternative splicing identification of Artemisia annua.Planta · 2023Article
- Spatio-Temporal Bayesian Models for Malaria Risk Using Survey and Health Facility Routine Data in Rwanda.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Local resource mobilization for malaria vector control among Rwandan rice farmers: a pilot study into the role of community ownership.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMalaria is a potentially fatal disease spread by the bites of Plasmodium-infected Anopheles mosquitoes. Despite long-term efforts to control malaria in Rwanda, malaria incidence increased from 48 to 403 cases/1000 individuals between 2012 and 2016. The diagnosis and treatment of malaria occurs at multiple levels, but the costs of these activities are not well understood. This research was conducted to estimate the direct medical costs incurred by the Ministry of Health in diagnosing and treating malaria in three districts of Rwanda in 2018.
methodsA cross-sectional and retrospective costing analysis was conducted in three districts that represented low (5-200 cases per 1000 individuals), moderate (> 200-400 cases per 1000 individuals), and high (> 400 cases per 1000 individuals) endemicity regions. Data on malaria cases managed at three healthcare levels (community, health centre, district hospital) was obtained from national databases. The direct medical costs of cases per malaria severity ('simple malaria', 'simple malaria with minor digestive symptoms', and 'severe malaria') were calculated based on the minimum package of health services provided. Total costs for each of the three districts were also calculated.
resultsA total of 298,381 malaria cases were recorded in Burera, Kirehe, and Southern Kayonza districts in 2018. The average unit cost per case ranged from USD 1.36 (for simple malaria at the community level) to USD 92.80 (for severe malaria with cerebral complications at district hospitals). Simple malaria cases managed at health centres and district hospitals were more than two-fold (USD 2.99-USD 3.00) and more than eight-fold (USD 12.10-USD 12.12) higher, respectively, than those managed in the community (USD 1.36). Overall, the Ministry of Health incurred USD 645,647.68 in direct medical costs related to malaria management across the three districts in 2018. Changes in disease rates from different endemicity regions and costs of anti-malarial oral medications significantly impacted the study results.
conclusionIn Rwanda, severe malaria results in much higher expenses compared to other malaria types. Prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial to prevent the progression of simple malaria to severe malaria, to reduce Ministry of Health malaria expenditures, and to reduce community transmission.
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