A cost-benefit analisys of chagas disease control

Chagas disease transmission can be effetively interrupted by insecticidal control of its triatomine bug vectors. We present here a simple model comparing the costs and benefits of such a programme, designed to eliminate domestic populations of Triatoma infestans throughout its known area of distribu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 1991-09, Vol.86 (3), p.285-295
Main Authors: Schofield, C. J., Dias, J. C. P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chagas disease
cost-benefit
PARASITOLOGY
Triatoma infestans
TROPICAL MEDICINE
vector control
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Summary:Chagas disease transmission can be effetively interrupted by insecticidal control of its triatomine bug vectors. We present here a simple model comparing the costs and benefits of such a programme, designed to eliminate domestic populations of Triatoma infestans throughout its known area of distribution over the seven southernmost countries of Latin America. The model has been simplified to require only four financial estimates relating to the unit cost of housing spraying and benefits due to avoidance of premature death in the acute phase of the disease, avoidance of supportive treatment and care in the chronic phase of the disease, and avoidance of corrective digestive and cardiac surgery. Exceptfor these direct medical costs, al other potential benefits have been ignored. Nevertheless, the model shows that the direct financial benefits of such a programme would far outweigh the costs, and the project would support a remarkably high internal rate of return under the least optimistic estimates.
ISSN:0074-0276
1678-8060
0074-0276
1678-8060
DOI:10.1590/S0074-02761991000300002