Atopic dermatitis treatment costing in Ouagadougou

Abstract

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory dermatosis predominantly affecting children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the direct medical cost of its management.
Methodology: A partial economic evaluation from the patient's point of view. was conducted about 184 cases of AD with 134 in the public facility and 50 in one private facility in the city of Ouagadougou.
Results: The average duration of an attack of AD was 13.9 days (15.9 days (public) versus 8.8 days (private)). The median number of attacks of AD per year was 6. Twenty-five per cent of patients regularly used a moisturizer to care for their atopic skin (17% (public) versus 45% (private)). The average cost of managing an attack of AD was FCFA 16,226 FCFA (USD 29.97) for all patients, FCFA 11, 275 (USD 20.82) (public) versus FCFA 29, 494F (USD 54.47) (private), (P=0.00). The average total annual cost of managing AD was 193,746 FCFA (USD 357.86), FCFA 104,061 (USD 192.20) (public) versus FCFA 331,508 (USD 612.31) (private) with a statistically significant difference (P=0.001).
Conclusion: The total annual cost of treating AD in the absence of a funding mechanism is very high for the patient, particularly in the public sector, hence the need to take this into account in the universal health coverage care basket.