Costs to the patient for seeking malaria care in Myanmar

This study investigates the costs incurred by patients diagnosed with uncomplicated malaria at a formal rural health facility in Myanmar. A cross-sectional survey of 410 patients indicated that the majority of patients were male (89.3%), married (84.6%) and the head of their family (80.2%); this spectrum reflected the deliberate selection of persons for whom relatively accurate costing was feasible. The average total costs incurred for an episode of malaria was kyats 173.58 (95% CI = 166.13–181.02), with the highest cost contribution being the loss of earnings due to absence from work (mean = kyats 135.05; 95% CI = 128.14–141.96). Total costs to the patient per episode were, on the average, equivalent to 4.2 days of per capita economic output indicating that malaria imposes a significant financial burden on the patient even though medical services and treatment are provided free of charge. Variables significantly positively associated with patient cost included the duration of illness (P < 0.001), income of the patient (P < 0.001), presence of accompanying person at the health facility (P < 0.001) and being a farmer (P = 0.026). The results of this study highlight the importance of using confirmatory diagnosis in rural settings to minimize the financial burden of malaria to the patient and family.