Malaria and Its Economic Burden among Pregnant Women in Rivers State, Nigeria

Background: Malaria remains a public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa especially in pregnant women because of the potential risk to the life of the mother and risk of transmission to the foetus. Treatment of malaria imposes a great economic burden on households, governments, and ultimately slows down the pace of economic development in these countries. Methods: This study estimates the economic burden of malaria among pregnant women in Nigeria, using a cross sectional survey, conducted in 8 public health institutions from the three senatorial districts of Rivers State. The data was collected from a sample of 1008 pregnant women visiting antenatal clinics using the open data kit (ODK) pretested questionnaires by trained personnel. Results: The results show that malaria has a direct economic burden of about N5826.21 or 16.18 United States Dollar (USD) for outpatient treatment including diagnostic tests and about N18,271 or 50.75 USD using an exchange rate of N360:1 USD, for inpatient treatment. A significant statistical association was established between malaria diagnosis and socio-economic status of participants (p-value Conclusion: Though the intangible cost could not be identified, the study has shown that malaria imposes huge economic burden on households especially poor households. There is need for government to intensify its efforts in malaria eradication schemes. Efforts should be made to put in place a free malaria treatment policy for vulnerable groups like pregnant women. Furthermore, involvement of health systems in reducing the cost of treatment will decrease the economic burden on the households.