ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the illness-related expenditure by families of children with West syndrome (WS) during the first year of illness and to explore the potential determinants of the financial drain. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital between July 2018 and June 2020. Eighty-five children with WS who presented within one year from the onset of epileptic spasms were included. The details of the treatment costs (direct medical and nonmedical) incurred during the first year from the onset of epileptic spasms were noted from a parental interview and case record review. Unit cost was fixed for drugs and specific services. Total cost was estimated by multiplying the unit cost by the number of times a drug or service was availed. The determinants of the financial burden were also explored. Results The median monthly per-capita income of the enrolled families (n = 85) was INR 3000 (Q1, Q3, 2000, 6000). The median cost of treatment over one year was INR 27035 (Q1, Q3, 17,894, 39,591). Median direct medical and nonmedical expenses amounted to INR 18802 (Q1, Q3, 12,179, 25,580) and INR 6550 (Q1, Q3, 3500, 15,000), respectively. Seven families had catastrophic healthcare expenditure. Parental education and choice of first-line treatment were important determinants driving healthcare expenses. The age at onset of epileptic spasms, etiology, treatment lag, the initial response to treatment, and relapse following initial response did not significantly influence the illness-related expenditure by the families. Conclusion WS imposes a substantial financial burden on the families and indirectly on the healthcare system.
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Background & objectives: India is a large country with each state having distinct social, cultural and economic characteristics. Tobacco epidemic is not uniform across the country. There are wide variations in tobacco consumption across age, sex, regions and socio-economic classes. This study was conducted to understand the wide inequalities in patterns of smoking and smokeless tobacco consumption across various states of India. Methods: Analysis was conducted on Global Adult Tobacco Survey, India (2009-2010) data. Prevalence of both forms of tobacco use and its association with socio-economic determinants was assessed across states and Union Territories of India. Wealth indices were calculated using socio-economic data of the survey. Concentration index of inequality and one way ANOVA assessed economic inequality in tobacco consumption and variation of tobacco consumption across quintiles. Multiple logistic regression was done for tobacco consumption and wealth index adjusting for age, sex, area, education and occupation. Results: Overall prevalence of smoking and smokeless tobacco consumption was 13.9 per cent (14.6, 13.3) and 25.8 per cent (26.6, 25.0), respectively. Prevalence of current smoking varied from 1.6 per cent (richest quintile in Odisha) to 42.2 per cent (poorest quintile in Meghalaya). Prevalence of current smokeless tobacco consumption varied from 1.7 per cent (richest quintile in Jammu and Kashmir) to 59.4 per cent (poorest quintile in Mizoram). Decreasing odds of tobacco consumption with increasing wealth was observed in most of the states. Reverse trend of tobacco consumption was observed in Nagaland. Significant difference in odds of smoking and smokeless tobacco consumption with wealth quintiles was observed. Concentration index of inequality was significant for smoking tobacco -0.7 (-0.62 to-0.78) and not significant for smokeless tobacco consumption -0.15 (0.01to-0.33) Interpretation & conclusions: The findings of our analysis indicate that tobacco control policy and public health interventions need to consider widespread socio-economic inequities in tobacco consumption across the states in India.
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Background. Rheumatic fever (RF)/rheumatic heart disease (RHD) continue to be a neglected public health priority. We carried out a registry-based control project, prospective surveillance and sample surveys to estimate the burden of disease. Methods. We trained healthcare providers and established a surveillance system for the 1.1 million population of Rupnagar district in Punjab. In sample surveys conducted among schools, physicians examined the sampled children. Children with a cardiac murmur were investigated by echocardiography. Throat swabs were obtained from a sub-sample, and group A streptococci (GAS) were identified and emm typed by standard laboratory methods. We estimated the morbidity rates for RF/RHD from surveillance data and school surveys using a correction factor to account for under-registration of cases in the registry. Results. A total of 813 RF/RHD cases were registered from 2002 to 2009. Of the 203 RF and 610 RHD cases, respectively, 51.2% and 36.7% were males. In the age group of 5–14 years, RF was more common (80%) than RHD (27%). The prevalence of RF/RHD in 5–14-year-old students was 1.0/ 1000 (95% CI 0.8–1.3). The school survey indicated that about two-thirds of the RF/RHD cases were enrolled in the hospital-based registries. Based on the school survey, the prevalence of RF/RHD was estimated to be 143/100 000 population. In the registry, the annual incidence of acute RF was estimated to be at least 8.7/100 000 children in the age group of 5–14 years. The prevalence of GAS was 2% (13/656) in children with sore throat and 0.5% (14/2920) among those not having sore throat. Typing of 27 GAS revealed 16 emm types. We estimate that about 1000 episodes of GAS pharyngitis lead to one episode of acute RF. Conclusion. RF/RHD continue to be a public health problem in Punjab, India.