Journal article

The cost-of-illness due to rheumatic heart disease: national estimates for Fiji

Rachel C Heenan, Tom Parks, Till Barnighausen, Joseph Kado, David E Bloom, Andrew C Steer

TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE | OXFORD UNIV PRESS | Published : 2020

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a chronic valvular heart disease that is responsible for a heavy burden of premature mortality in low- and middle-income countries. The total costs of RHD are important to health policy and research investment decisions. We estimate for the first time the total cost of RHD for Fiji (2008-2012) using a cost-of-illness approach and novel primary data on RHD disease burden and costs. METHODS: RHD cases were identified using probabilistic record linkage across four routine data sources: (1) the Fiji RHD Control Program, (2) national hospital admissions records, (3) the Ministry of Health database of cause-specific deaths and (4) hospital ECG clinic re..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant from the Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department at WHO. TB was supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through the Alexander von Humboldt Professor award, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.