Out-of-pocket expenditure on childhood infections and its financial burden on Indian households: Evidence from nationally representative household survey (2017-18).

Farooqui, Habib Hasan, Karan, Anup, Mathur, Manu Raj, Hussain, Suhaib and Selvaraj, Sakthivel (2022) Out-of-pocket expenditure on childhood infections and its financial burden on Indian households: Evidence from nationally representative household survey (2017-18). PloS one, 17 (12). e0278025-e0278025.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278025

Abstract

The key objective of this research was to estimate out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) incurred by the Indian households for the treatment of childhood infections. We estimated OOPE estimates on outpatient care and hospitalization by disease conditions and type of health facilities. In addition, we also estimated OOPE as a share of households' total consumption expenditure (TCE) by MPCE quintile groups to assess the quantum of the financial burden on the households. We analyzed the Social Consumption: Health (SCH) data from National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) 75th round (2017-18). Outcome indicators were prevalence of selected infectious diseases in children aged less than 5 years, per episode of OOPE on outpatient care in the preceding 15 days, hospitalization in the preceding year and OOPE as a share of households' total consumption expenditure. Our analysis suggests that the most common childhood infection was 'fever with rash' followed by 'acute upper respiratory infection' and 'acute meningitis'. However, the highest OOPE for outpatient care and hospitalization was reported for 'viral hepatitis' and 'tuberculosis' episodes. Among the households reporting childhood infections, OOPE was 4.8% and 6.7% of households' total consumption expenditure (TCE) for outpatient care and hospitalization, respectively. Furthermore, OOPE as a share of TCE was disproportionately higher for the poorest MPCE quintiles (outpatient, 7.9%; hospitalization, 8.2%) in comparison to the richest MPCE quintiles (outpatient, 4.8%; hospitalization, 6.7%). This treatment and care-related OOPE has equity implications for Indian households as the poorest households bear a disproportionately higher burden of OOPE as a share of TCE. Ensuring financial risk protection and universal access to care for childhood illnesses is critical to addressing inequity in care.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Humans, Hospitalization, Family Characteristics, Poverty, Child, Health Expenditures, India, Financial Stress
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	03 Feb 2023 10:29
Last Modified:	22 Apr 2023 00:36
DOI:	10.1371/journal.pone.0278025
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278025
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3168137