The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #62527

Jose A. Suaya, MD, MPH, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South St., MS 035, Waltham, MA 02454-9110, 781- 529-7801, Suaya@Brandeis.edu and Donald S. Shepard, PhD, Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, MS 035, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA 02454-9110.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection prevalent throughout the tropics. Dengue makes millions of people ill and kills thousands each year. Since there is no specific treatment or vaccine for dengue, elimination or control of the vectors (primarily Aedes aegypti) is the most important intervention against dengue. The exact inputs and cost of vector control programs in countries affected is often unknown because their implementation is often divided among multiple administrative levels, government agencies, private contractors and public health programs.

The objective of this study was to develop a model for determining the cost of vector control programs against dengue. The model was built around dengue control teams that carry out a mixture of inspections and fogging. Inspections of premises (especially houses and construction sites) search for mosquito breeding locations and the application of larvae control measures, educates residents, and if necessary, fines violators. Fogging kills adult mosquitoes with insecticides. From outputs indicators of those activities (such as number of premises inspected, or number of fogging sessions performed) the model determines the number of teams at work. The cost of each team was estimated from personnel, materials (e.g. chemicals and fuel), and amortization of fogging equipment and other capital items.

This study illustrates the applicability and feasibility of the model in a South-east Asian country, the region most affected by the disease.

This model can facilitate the estimation of an important component of government spending on dengue prevention and guide allocation of resources, program management, decisions in outsourcing, assessment of efficiency across region, and cost-effectiveness analysis of vector control programs.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand approaches to determining the cost of vector control programs.

Keywords: Cost Issues, Public Health Service

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.