Economic Burden and Catastrophic Expenditure from HouseholdIllnesses among Civil Servants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71637/tnhj.v25i1.1018Keywords:
Health insurance, Economic burden, risk protection, household illnessAbstract
Background: In Nigeria, as in many developing nations, the economic burden of household illnesses is a critical aspect that significantly affects the overall well-being of its population. Household illnesses may include a broad range of illnesses, from acute infections to chronic diseases. This study provides new information about the economic burden and catastrophic expenditure of household illness in Rivers State.
Material and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Respondents were randomly selected, the questionnaire was interviewer-administered via ODK software, and data was analyzed by SPSS vs 21. P was set at 0.05. Medical and non-medical costs were determined. Catastrophic health expenditure was set at 40% of non-food expenditure. The Dollar exchange rate to naira was 306.96.
Results: A total of 351 respondents took part in the study. Malaria, 263 (74.9%) was the most prevalent illness reported, most, 273 (77.8%) sought treatment at the patent medicine store, and out-of-pocket payment was used by a majority 342 (97.4%). The mean total direct cost was US$10.58 (SD US$22.76). The direct medical cost was US$9.70 (SD US$16.65) while the total direct non-medical cost was US$0.88 (SD US$7.11) and catastrophic expenditure was reported between 1.2% and 2.2% at the 10% threshold.
Conclusion: There is an urgent need to offer financial risk protection through the provision of health insurance programmes in the state.
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