The Economic Burden of Tuberculosis and the Need for Private Sector Initiatives

Carlos Antonio Tan, Jr. and Joseph Capuno
Additional contact information
Carlos Antonio Tan, Jr.: School of Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman

No 200414, UP School of Economics Discussion Papers from University of the Philippines School of Economics

Abstract: Despite the unrelenting effort by the government, tuberculosis still poses a major health risk and remains today a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In 2003 prices, the economic cost of TB – measured here as the aggregate loss in income estimated based on a selection model of income differential between those with TB and those without it - is about 3.26 billion pesos per annum. In comparison to direct medical costs of DOTS treatment, this estimate exceeds the low-end estimate of 1.81 billion pesos per annum and approximates the high-end estimate of 3.73 billion pesos per annum. Arguably, therefore, TB control is economically viable, but which requires wider private sector participation. However, despite the fact that many TB patients work or seek treatment in the private sector, the private sector’s role in the country’s TB control program has, until recently, not been articulated, as revealed by the inventory of TB and other relevant policies. Increased private sector participation, however, is now expected with the PhilHealth’s TB-outpatient benefit package, but whose design and implementation must be strengthened to make it a wider window of opportunity.

Pages: 38 pages
Date: 2004-09
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Published as UPSE Discussion Paper No. 2004-14, September 2004

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.econ.upd.edu.ph/dp/index.php/dp/article/view/119/116 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:phs:dpaper:200414

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in UP School of Economics Discussion Papers from University of the Philippines School of Economics Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by RT Campos ().