Abstract

SANCHEZ M, César  and  DURAND V, Salomón. Costo efectividad del cambio de los esquemas de tratamiento para malaria en el Perú (1999-2003). Rev. perú. med. exp. salud publica [online]. 2004, vol.21, n.4, pp.197-209. ISSN 1726-4634.

Objectives: As a response to the emergency of P. falciparum resistence to antimalarial agents, Peruvian Ministry of Health decided to adopt combined treatment regimens for malaria recommended by World Health Organization: MQ, -AS and SP-AS, but the costs of the new therapy are significantly higher compared to former treatment regimens; SP and quinine + tetracyclin; however its advantage may be greater efficacy and probably its capacity for reducing transmission. For these reasons, we prospectively assessed costeffectiveness of changing treatment regimens for malaria. Materials and methods: Decision and risk analysis methods were used, a probabilistic model was build establishing formal relationships between different factors that may modify case number, death toll, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and program costs for a 5-year period. Results: Even though unit costs for drugs are higher with combined therapy, new combined therapy schedule has better cost-effectiveness for reducing life years adjusted for discapacity. Conclusions: Within the strategy for malaria control in Peru, combined therapy has better cost-effectiveness compared to former treatment regimens.

Keywords : Malaria; Antimalarials; Antimalarials/economics; Peru.

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