Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #105580

C. Natasha Hsi, MPH, Partners for Health Reform plus Project (PHRplus), Abt Associates, 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 22203, 301 718 3151, natasha_hsi@abtassoc.com and Katherine Wolf, MPH, Emory University, Partners for Health Reform plus Project, 4800 Montgomery Lane, Suite 600, Bethesda, MD 20814.

Background: There are concerns that resistance to Sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for the treatment of malaria is developing in the Democratic Republic of Congo and efficacy trials are currently being conducted to test different first line treatments. The government is currently revising its anti-malarial treatment policy to switch from SP to Artemesinin based combination therapy (ACT). The PHRplus project developed cost estimates for the switch from SP to ACT and proposed different scenarios for financing the new malarial therapies.

Methods: ACT needs were assessed at the national and provincial levels and recommendations made by province. Due to the high level of resistance to SP and growing resistance to SP- Artemesinin combinations in the east, and lower levels of drug resistance in the west, the model projected different anti-malarial therapies as appropriate for various regions of the country. The model estimated treatment cost for all malarious patients received at the health centre.

Assumptions of the model: · The model projected ACT need based on episodes per person within each age group. · The model assumed that everyone except pregnant women would be treated for malaria with ACTs. · The drug combinations to be considered were: Artemether-Lumefantrine and Artesunate-Amodiaquine · Due to increasing levels of SP-artemesinin combination resistance, SP+Amodiaquine and SP-Artemether, were not considered as viable ACT alternatives

Results: It is anticipated that given the current epidemiological situation, utilization of health services and costs of the various ACTs, DRC will need approximately $64 million per year for the Arthemether-Lumenfrantine combination and $31 million per year for the Artesunate-Amodiaquine combination if the drugs were introduced in all of DRC at the same time.

Learning Objectives:

• - To learn about the variables considered by the Government of Congo when switching anti-malarial treatment policies.
• - To understand how a switch in anti-malarial treatments will impact the health budget of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Keywords: International, Financing

Related Web page: www.PHRplus.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation