Cost-effectiveness analysis of rotavirus vaccination among Libyan children using a simple economic model

Abstract

Background

Rotavirus infection is a major cause of childhood diarrhea in Libya. The objective of this study is to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in that country.

Methods

We used a published decision tree model that has been adapted to the Libyan situation to analyze a birth cohort of 160,000 children. The evaluation of diarrhea events in three public hospitals helped to estimate the rotavirus burden. The economic analysis was done from two perspectives: health care provider and societal. Univariate sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess uncertainty in some values of the variables selected.

Results

The three hospitals received 545 diarrhea patients aged≤5 with 311 (57%) rotavirus positive test results during a 9-month period. The societal cost for treatment of a case of rotavirus diarrhea was estimated at US$ 661/event. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio with a vaccine price of US$ 27 per course was US$ 8,972 per quality-adjusted life year gained from the health care perspective. From a societal perspective, the analysis shows cost savings of around US$ 16 per child.

Conclusion

The model shows that rotavirus vaccination could be economically a very attractive intervention in Libya.

• diarrhea
• rotavirus
• cost-effectiveness
• vaccination
• Libya

Acknowledgements

The authors greatly appreciate the National Center for Diseases Control in Libya (NCDC) and the managers and medical staff at the hospitals for the permissions. The authors are also grateful to the patients and their parents for their participation in this study. The study was supported by the University of Malaya/Ministry of Higher Education (UM/MOHE) High Impact Research Grant (E000010-20001), Malaysia, and also supported by the AADUN RP026-2012C grant. The authors thank the two anonymous reviewers for their comments.

Conflict of interest and funding

The authors have not received any funding or benefits from industry or elsewhere to conduct this study.