Action Against Hunger UK, London SE10 0ER, UK.
EPINUT Research Group (Ref. 920325), Unit of Physical Anthropology, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Nutrients. 2023 Sep 1;15(17):3833. doi: 10.3390/nu15173833.
Evidence on the cost of acute malnutrition treatment, particularly with regards to simplified approaches, is limited. The objective of this study was to determine the cost of acute malnutrition treatment and how it is influenced by treatment protocol and programme size. We conducted a costing study in Kabléwa and N'Guigmi, Diffa region, where children with acute malnutrition aged 6-59 months were treated either with a standard or simplified protocol, respectively. Cost data were collected from accountancy records and through key informant interviews. Programme data were extracted from health centre records. In Kabléwa, where 355 children were treated, the cost per child treated was USD 187.3 (95% CI: USD 171.4; USD 203.2). In N'Guigmi, where 889 children were treated, the cost per child treated was USD 110.2 (95% CI: USD 100.0; USD 120.3). Treatment of moderate acute malnutrition was cheaper than treatment of severe acute malnutrition. In a modelled scenario sensitivity analysis with an equal number of children in both areas, the difference in costs between the two locations was reduced from USD 77 to USD 11. Our study highlighted the significant impact of programme size and coverage on treatment costs, that cost can differ significantly between neighbouring locations, and that it can be reduced by using a simplified protocol.
关于急性营养不良治疗成本的证据有限，特别是简化方法的证据。本研究的目的是确定急性营养不良治疗的成本，以及治疗方案和项目规模如何影响成本。我们在迪法地区的卡布雷瓦和恩吉格米进行了一项成本研究，6-59 个月大的急性营养不良儿童分别接受标准或简化方案治疗。成本数据来自会计记录和关键知情人访谈。项目数据从卫生中心记录中提取。在卡布雷瓦，有 355 名儿童接受了治疗，每名儿童的治疗费用为 187.3 美元（95%CI：171.4 美元至 203.2 美元）。在恩吉格米，有 889 名儿童接受了治疗，每名儿童的治疗费用为 110.2 美元（95%CI：100.0 美元至 120.3 美元）。中度急性营养不良的治疗费用低于严重急性营养不良的治疗费用。在一个具有同等数量儿童的两个地区的模型情景敏感性分析中，两个地点之间的成本差异从 77 美元减少到 11 美元。我们的研究强调了项目规模和覆盖范围对治疗成本的重大影响，强调了相邻地点之间的成本可能有显著差异，并指出使用简化方案可以降低成本。
