Authors : A.C. Er, M.E. Toriman, Rozita Hod, Sharifah Mastura Syed Abdullah, Mazrura Sahani, Hidayatulfathi Othma, Saperi Sulong, Amrizal Muhammad Nur, Nor Rohaizah Jamil and Lee Qiao Yun
Abstract: Dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever have been on an increasing trend for the past two decades. The aim of this study is to determine the cost of illness as a result of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever. The research method is based on the calculation of cost of illness. Cost-of-illness is operationalized via direct and indirect costs. Intangible costs is not taken into consideration as it is the most controversial and the hardest to measure. The cost of illness for dengue fever is RM 1,771 as compared to RM 1,805 for dengue haemorrhagic fever. The ratios of cost of illness for dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever vis-a-vis the average GDP per capita for the period 2002-2008 are 8.6 and 8.8%, respectively. This is a fairly sizeable burden and if the number of patients were to increase, the financial burden on key stakeholders like the government, patients and caregivers will be even higher. Lost productivity is the only constituent in indirect costs. If data were available for other constituents like sick leave, the indirect costs and likewise the total cost of illness will even be higher. As the calculation of cost of illness is based on mean length of stay, the quantum of financial burden will even be higher if the length of stay is longer than the mean length of stay for both dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever.
A.C. Er, M.E. Toriman, Rozita Hod, Sharifah Mastura Syed Abdullah, Mazrura Sahani, Hidayatulfathi Othma, Saperi Sulong, Amrizal Muhammad Nur, Nor Rohaizah Jamil and Lee Qiao Yun, 2012. A Costing Methodology for Dengue. The Social Sciences, 7: 20-23.