Palliation of Functionally Single Ventricle Patients in Sub-Saharan Africa—Is It Justifiable?

Resource constraints in many sub-Saharan African countries undermine efforts to provide the full spectrum of pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery. Palliation of the child born with functionally single ventricle is the lowest priority for policymakers when viewed from the perspective of cost-effe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World journal for pediatric & congenital heart surgery 2019-03, Vol.10 (2), p.171-173
Main Author: Edwin, Frank
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Africa South of the Sahara
Cardiac Surgical Procedures
Child
Health Resources
Heart Defects, Congenital - epidemiology
Humans
Palliative Care
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Summary:Resource constraints in many sub-Saharan African countries undermine efforts to provide the full spectrum of pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery. Palliation of the child born with functionally single ventricle is the lowest priority for policymakers when viewed from the perspective of cost-effectiveness. This commentary focuses on the relative importance of different criteria that policymakers and the general public consider important in setting health-care priorities as it relates to palliation of the patient with functionally single ventricle in sub-Saharan Africa. It argues the position that cost-effectiveness analysis tends to exclude those with high cost-to-treat illness, and decisions made on that basis alone are not acceptable to the general population on whose behalf those decisions are made.
ISSN:2150-1351
2150-136X
DOI:10.1177/2150135119830006