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- Islam, Kamrul, et al.
(författare)
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The Cost of Maternal-Newborn Illness and Mortality
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the estimation of the cost of illness (COI) related to maternal-newborn ill-health (MNIH). The methodology used for the review includes a systematic search on electronic databases for published literature and manual searches for the identification of grey (unpublished) literature. Searches are based on the major electronic databases and also on the home pages of some major international organizations. While the problems of MNIH are well known and the importance of conducting COI studies is understood, knowledge is still lacking about the magnitude of the costs of MNIH at the societal level. After a search of the existing electronic databases, only one published paper was found to be relevant for the review; four grey studies (using REDUCE Safe Motherhood model) were also directly relevant. The published study estimates most of the cost components associated with a particular complication of MNIH -- emergency obstetric care (EmOC) -- and reports a total average cost per user of EmOC in the range of US$ 177-369 in Bangladesh. The unpublished studies based on the REDUCE model illustrate the MNIH issue more directly and elaborately; however, they estimate merely the productivity cost for four African countries. The model estimates a huge amount of productivity losses associated with MNIH: an annual total of about US$ 95 million for Ethiopia and about US$ 85 million for Uganda. To formulate an idea of issues related to data, measurement and methodology the present study also reviews COI studies on other related diseases that are similar to those on MNIH. The review reveals some difficulties in measurement and proposes to incorporate some relevant cost components that MNIH cause society and also suggests probable data sources for COI studies of MNIH. Although it is evident that MNIH results in suffering for women and children and hinders economic development through its huge burden for society, in order to stimulate further policy debate regarding its significance future research efforts should be directed towards theoretically sound and comprehensive COI studies with use of longitudinal and experimental data.
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| 2. |
- Wilhelmson, Karl, et al.
(författare)
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Impact on Economic Growth of Investing in Maternal-Newborn Health
- 2006
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this paper is to provide a systematic review of the evidence of the impact on economic growth of investments in maternal--newborn health (MNH). The methodology used for the review includes a systematic search for published literature in relevant electronic databases. In the paper, we review five studies: four empirical and one theoretical. One of the empirical papers measures health by infant mortality. The study finds that a 1/1000-point reduction in the infant mortality rate leads to an increase in the level of State Domestic Product by Indian Rs 2.70 and an increase in the average growth rate per year of 0.145%. Similar results are reported for other health measures in other studies. Our main conclusion, however, is that the area lacks research and that considerably more is needed before any advice can be provided to policy-makers about the contribution to growth of investments in MNH. Specifically, first and foremost, studies are needed that explicitly analyse the impact of MNH on level and growth of output. Second, we suggest the use of more comprehensive MNH measures that consider the health of both mothers and newborns and aspects of ill-health other than death, such as measures of quality of life, functional limitations, mental health and sickness absenteeism. Third, estimates of the effects of MNH on growth need to be controlled for other health dimensions, i.e. aspects that may confound the impact of MNH. Fourth, studies are needed of the effects on determinants of growth in order to understand better the links between MNH and growth. Fifth, studies based on smaller geographical areas within countries and longer time series are needed, in order to obtain more precise estimates and also better estimates of the long-term growth paths. Finally, we suggest compilation of other data sets on microeconomic data, for example, to study effects at firm level of MNH on labour productivity through inability to work, disability, sick days, etc.
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