AEGiS-13IAC: Microeconomic impact of the anti-retroviral therapy among patients of the Senegalese cohort.

13th International AIDS Conference

Durban, South Africa - July 9-July 14, 2000

Microeconomic impact of the anti-retroviral therapy among patients of the Senegalese cohort.

Int Conf AIDS 2000 Jul 9-14; 13:22 (abstract no.. LbOr23)

Sylla O, Laniece I, Mbodj L, Ndoye I
Service de Psychiatrie, Dakar Fann, Senegal, E-mail: osylla@ucad.refer.sn.

ISSUES: The Senegalese Initiative was set up with a goal of equity. For that, patients? financial participation is indexed to income. A research study (PNLS/ANRS/IMEA) was conducted to evaluate the microeconomic impact of drugs costs. Patient?s family situation, employment status and financial resources were assessed.

DESCRIPTION: A social inquiry was held among 91 of the 109 patients (83%) receiving anti-retroviral treatment at the beginning of 2000.

RESULTS: 42 men (median age: 42 years) and 48 women (median age: 34 years) have been interviewed. -Matrimonial status and family size: 26% of patients are single, 42% married or living marital life, 14% divorced and 18% widowed. 33% of women are widowed and 15% are divorced. The median number of children alive per patient is 2, it is 3 for married and widowed patients. Household size has a median of 10 people. - Employment situation: unemployed represent 39% of the patients, 24% of men and 52% of women. -Level of resources: at the patient level, the median of monthly income is 67 US$. At the household level, it is 250 US$, leading to an amount of 25 US$ monthly available per household member. -Financial burden of HIV infection management: with a median cost of 35 US$ monthly, anti-retroviral treatment represents 14% of household income. To face this increase of charges, financial support is mobilized by 56% of the 41 patients paying for drugs.

CONCLUSION: the patients of the Senegalese cohort have a mean standard of living upper than the one of the general population. Nevertheless, starting an anti-retroviral therapy partly subsidized by the government may represent an extra financial charge estimated to 14% of the household income. Facing limited resources at the household level, patients, specially women, are often engaged in resources mobilization approaches toward other family members. This may compel them to disclose their HIV status.

Keywords: AEGIS, Ethnic Groups, Family Characteristics, Widowhood, Single Person, Income, Employment, Divorce, Marriage, Financial Support, Human, Female, Male, Child, therapy, Epidemiology, economics, AIDS
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