Costs of providing tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment services in Viet Nam

• Published in: The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease Vol. 21; no. 9; pp. 1035 - 1040
• Main Authors: Minh, H. V., Mai, V. Q., Nhung, N. V., Hoi, L. V., Giang, K. B., Chung, L. H., Kien, V. D., Duyen, N. T., Ngoc, N. B., Anh, T. T., Phuong, T. B., Ngan, T. T., Khanh, P. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease 01.09.2017; International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD)
• Subjects: Adult; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Child; Costs; Costs and Cost Analysis; Diagnosis; Health care facilities; Health Facilities; Humans; Isoniazid; Isoniazid - therapeutic use; Latent Tuberculosis - diagnosis; Latent Tuberculosis - drug therapy; Latent Tuberculosis - economics; Medical diagnosis; Multidrug resistance; Per capita; Retrospective Studies; Treatment; Tuberculosis; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant - diagnosis; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant - drug therapy; Tuberculosis, Multidrug-Resistant - economics; Viet Nam; Vietnam; United States > US; Vietnam
• ISSN: 1027-3719; 1815-7920
• DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.16.0778

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the cost of providing tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment packages at different levels of health facilities in Viet Nam.DESIGN: This was a retrospective costing study from the providers' perspective using a standard costing approach. We included typical services for TB diagnosis and treatment based on standard protocols.RESULTS: The least expensive TB service was the 6-month isoniazid preventive therapy regimen for latent tuberculous infection provided by district health centres (US$7.20-14.30, accounting for 0.3-0.7% of Viet Nam's per capita gross domestic product [GDP] of US$2052.30 in 2014). The cost of diagnosing and treating a patient with drug-susceptible TB (the most common type of TB) ranged between US$51.20 and US$180.70, and represented 2.5-8.8% of Viet Nam's per capita GDP in 2014. The most expensive TB service was the diagnosis and treatment of a multidrug-resistant TB case (US$1568.20-2391.20), accounting for 76.4-116.5% of Viet Nam's per capita GDP in 2014).CONCLUSION: The cost of TB diagnosis and treatment services in Viet Nam varied according to level of health facility, type of TB, different costing options, and different staff cost scenarios.