ABSTRACT
A small but intensive study was carried out adopting a simple method which attempts to quantify the economic consequences Plasmodium falciparum malaria on education investment through school pupil absenteeism in a community in Solomon Islands. In a randomized sample of 4,920 cases of P. falciparum malaria in a community, 2,886 occurred in children of primary school age group of 7 to 13 years. On average a case gave rise to a mean school absenteeism of 5.3 days. In the final analysis a total of 11,028 pupil days schooling were lost due to the sampled cases of malaria caused by the species. This is equivalent to 55.14 school pupil years as a child is expected to attend school for 200 days in a year. A primary school teacher with an average annual salary of US$3,990.00 is expected to teach 6,500 school pupil days a year. When this is adopted as an economic indicator for investment in education the loss is calculated to be US$6,769.57 or equivalent to US$1.38 per case. When this is applied nationally, assuming that rates are similar for 79,203 cases of P. falciparum reported in 1990, the total consequence for investment in education is US$108,966.00, which is equivalent to 27.31 teachers being paid for not teaching, an unacceptable impact for a small nation like the Solomon Islands.
Subject(s)
Absenteeism , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Cost of Illness , Education/economics , Humans , Malaria, Falciparum/economics , MelanesiaABSTRACT
In order to assist in assessing progress of vector control of filariasis a theoretical model is constructed, using retrospective data on infected persons removed to a vector-free situation. This shows that the decrease of microfilaraemia is not regular, but is gradual for the first 3 years and then more rapid, reaching zero at about 10 years. An estimate is made of the level to which the vector must be reduced before transmission of filariasis ceases, showing that the degree of efficiency required is considerably less than for malaria.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Child , Child, Preschool , Culicidae/parasitology , Female , Filariasis/prevention & control , Humans , Infant , Insecticides , Mathematics , Melanesia , Microfilariae/isolation & purification , Models, Biological , Mosquito Control , Retrospective Studies , Wuchereria bancrofti/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
In Solomon Islands, filariasis is caused by the nocturnally perodic form of Wuchereria bancrofti and is transmitted by the same vectors of malaria. This study explores the control of this disease as an additional effect of the Malaria Eradication Programme.