Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in the Sahel Subregion of Africa: A Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Savings Analysis
Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention in the Sahel Subregion of Africa: A Cost-Effectiveness and Cost-Savings Analysis
Summary
Background
The intermittent administration of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is recommended to prevent malaria among children aged 3–59 months in areas of the Sahel subregion in Africa. However, the cost-effectiveness and cost savings of SMC have not previously been evaluated in large-scale studies.
Methods
We did a cost-effectiveness and cost-savings analysis of a large-scale, multi-country SMC campaign with sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine for children younger than 5 years in seven countries in the Sahel subregion (Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and The Gambia) in 2016. The financial and economic costs were analysed from the programmatic perspective and are reported in 2016 US$ for each country. The estimated numbers of averted malaria cases, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were based on numbers of SMC treatments administered and modelled malaria transmission. Cost savings were calculated from a programmatic perspective corresponding to the diagnostic and treatment costs for malaria cases averted.
Findings
The total cost of SMC for all seven countries was $22·8 million, and the weighted average economic cost of administering four monthly SMC cycles was $3·63 per child (ranging from $2·71 in Niger to $8·20 in The Gambia). Based on 80% modelled effectiveness of SMC, the incremental economic cost per malaria case averted ranged from $2·91 in Niger to $30·73 in The Gambia; the cost per severe case averted ranged from $119·63 in Niger to $506·00 in The Gambia; the cost per death averted ranged from $533·56 in Niger to $2256·92 in The Gambia; and the cost per DALY averted (discounted by 3%) ranged from $18·66 in Niger to $78·91 in The Gambia. The estimated total economic cost savings to the health systems in all seven countries were US$66·0 million and the total net economic cost savings were US$43·2 million.
Interpretation
SMC is a low-cost and highly cost-effective intervention that contributes to substantial cost savings by reducing malaria diagnostic and treatment costs among children.
