Willingness to pay to enhance pandemic preparedness in Mauritius

• Published in: Public health (London) Vol. 211; pp. 144 - 148
• Main Authors: Jeetoo, J., Jaunky, V.C., Imhof, J.O.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2022
• Subjects: Contingent valuation; COVID-19 knowledge; Economics; Nationalekonomi; Pandemic preparedness; Probit model; Tobit model; Tobit model; Probit model; Pandemic preparedness; COVID-19 knowledge; Contingent valuation
• ISSN: 0033-3506; 1476-5616; 1476-5616
• DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.07.017

The objective of this study is to assess the determinants of willingness to pay to enhance pandemic preparedness in Mauritius. A contingent valuation method is used to estimate willingness to pay to pay for enhancing pandemic preparedness using a sample of working people in Mauritius. A two-phase decision process analysis is carried out to model the willingness to pay to enhance pandemic preparedness. The first phase is to analyse the respondents' decision of whether or not to pay for enhancing pandemic preparedness using a Probit model. The second phase is to estimate the determinants of the amount of money respondents are willing to pay using a Tobit model. Income earners are willing to pay an average of Rs. 1,900 (approximately USD 50) per annum to enhance pandemic preparedness. ‘Perceived Response Efficacy’, ‘Awareness of the Need and Responsibility for Paying’, ‘Subjective Obligation to Pay’ and the ‘Theory of Planned Behaviour’ are found to affect both stages of of the decision-making process. Knowledge on COVID-19 is found to have a positive impact on the decision to pay and health responsibility attitude is found to have a negative impact on the amount people are willing to pay. On average, the government can potentially expect to mobilise an additional Rs. 1,047,470,000 (USD 27,565,000) from taxpayers to spend on enhancing pandemic preparedness in Mauritius. To increase willingness to pay for enhanced pandemic preparedness, the government can focus on improving knowledge on a pandemic, perceived response efficacy and awareness on need and responsibility of paying.