Background: Tobacco use is a public health problem, responsible for approximately six million dea... more Background: Tobacco use is a public health problem, responsible for approximately six million deaths annually worldwide. It is a risk factor for many diseases including cancers, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In low-and middle-income countries, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are important causes of death. Tobacco use is prevalent in Ghana, but no study had examined the relationship between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana. Hence the paper assessed the association between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in that region. Methods: The study used verbal autopsy data collected from the Kassena-Nankana East and West districts of the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana. Data from deceased individuals aged 15 to 59 years whose deaths occurred between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2011 and with a known cause as well as smoking status were analyzed. Two binary outcome variables were generated from the cause of death data; whether an individual died from respiratory diseases or not, and from cardiovascular diseases or not. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Results: Out of 3,492 deaths with a known cause of death and smoking status, a third of them smoked. About 16.6% of smokers and 8.1% of non-smokers died from respiratory diseases. Approximately, 10.7% of smokers died from cardiovascular diseases compared to 10.6% of non-smokers. In multivariate analyses, individuals with a history of smoking had two-fold increased odds [OR=2.18, 95% CI (1.6-2.9)] of dying from respiratory diseases. Besides, the number of years of smoking as well as the frequency of smoking is significantly associated with deaths from respiratory diseases. No association existed between tobacco use and deaths from cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions: Within our study we identified a strong relationship between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory diseases, but not an association with deaths from cardiovascular diseases. Our findings highlight the need to make appropriate health interventions to control tobacco use and thus help reduce premature deaths from respiratory and other tobacco linked diseases.
Advances in health economics and health services research, 2009
Measurement of the incidence of health financing contributions across socio-economic groups has p... more Measurement of the incidence of health financing contributions across socio-economic groups has proven valuable in informing health care financing reforms. However, there is little evidence as to how to carry out financing incidence analysis (FIA) in lower income settings. We outline some of the challenges faced when carrying out a FIA in Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa and illustrate how innovative techniques were used to overcome data weaknesses in these settings. FIA was carried out for tax, insurance and out-of-pocket (OOP) payments. The primary data sources were Living Standards Measurement Surveys (LSMS) and household surveys conducted in each of the countries; tax authorities and insurance funds also provided information. Consumption expenditure and a composite index of socioeconomic status (SES) were used to assess financing equity. Where possible conventional methods of FIA were applied. Numerous challenges were documented and solution strategies devised. LSMS are likely t...
Health systems in developing countries including Ghana are faced with critical resource constrain... more Health systems in developing countries including Ghana are faced with critical resource constraints in pursuing the goal of improving the health status of the population. The constrained ability to adequately meet health care needs is exacerbated by inefficiency in the health care systems, especially within public health centres. The study used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, to calculate the technical and allocative efficiency of 113 randomly sampled health centres. A logistic regression model was also applied on whether a health centre was technically efficient or not to determine the factors that significantly influence the efficiency of health centres. The findings showed that 78% of health centres were technically inefficient and so were using resources that they did not actually need. Eight-eight percent were also allocatively inefficient. The overall efficiency, (product of the technical and allocative efficiency), was also calculated and over 90% of the health centre...
Background In 2012, WHO changed its recommendation for intermittent preventive treatment of malar... more Background In 2012, WHO changed its recommendation for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) from two doses to monthly doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine during the second and third trimesters, but noted the importance of a cost-eff ectiveness analysis to lend support to the decision of policy makers. We therefore estimated the incremental cost-eff ectiveness of IPTp with three or more (IPTp-SP3+) versus two doses of sulfadoxinepyrimethamine (IPTp-SP2).
Protecting the poor and vulnerable against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global ... more Protecting the poor and vulnerable against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global concern culminating in the 2005 World Health Assembly resolution urging member states to ensure financial protection to all citizens, especially children and women of reproductive age. Ghana provides financial protection to its citizens through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Launched in 2004, its proponents claim that the NHIS is a pro-poor financial commitment that implements the World Health Assembly resolution. Using 2011 survey data collected in seven districts in northern Ghana from 5469 women aged 15 to 49 the paper explores the extent to which poor child-bearing age mothers are covered by the NHIS in Ghana's poorest and most remote region. Factors associated with enrolment into the NHIS are estimated with logistic regression models employing covariates for household relative socio-economic status (SES), location of residence and maternal educational attainment, m...
Diarrhea caused by rotaviruses is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization among pediat... more Diarrhea caused by rotaviruses is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization among pediatric patients in rural communities of developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and it is a major cause of death in these communities. The complexity of diarrhea and the increasing cost of treatment puts additional burden on the health sector. To demonstrate the economic burden of diarrhea to policy makers, this study was conducted to estimate the treatment cost of diarrhea in children !5 years old in Ghana using the World Health Organization protocol for cost data collection and estimation. The study was undertaken in Navrongo War Memorial Hospital in northern Ghana. Cost estimates were made for 3 treatment scenarios observed: (1) treatment by rehydration, (2) treatment by rehydration and antibiotics, and (3) treatment of diarrhea and other diseases. The average outpatient treatment costs for the 3 treatment scenarios were US$3.86, $4.10, and $4.35 respectively, and the average treatment costs for hospitalization (inpatient care) were $65.14, $97.40, and $133.86 respectively. The annual national treatment costs, based on the 3 treatment scenarios, ranged from $907,116 to $1,851,280 for outpatients clinic visits and from $701,833 to $4,581,213 for hospitalizations. The average length of stay for the inpatients ranged from 2.3 to 4.9 days. The study did not cover patient costs (ie, household costs).
Background: Inequalities in health have received considerable attention from health scientists an... more Background: Inequalities in health have received considerable attention from health scientists and economists. In South Africa, inequalities exist in socio-economic status (SES) and in access to basic social services and are exacerbated by inequalities in health. While health systems, together with the wider social determinants of health, are relevant in seeking to improve health status and health inequalities, those that need good quality health care too seldom get it. Studies on the burden of ill-health in South Africa have shown consistently that, relative to the wealthy, the poor suffer more from more disease and violence. However, these studies are based on selected disease conditions and only consider a single point in time. Trend analyses have yet to be produced. This paper specifically investigates socio-economic related health inequality in South Africa and seeks to understand how the burden of self-reported illness and disability is distributed and whether this has changed since the early 2000s. data were used, with standardized and normalized self-reported illness and disability concentration indices to assess the distribution of illness and disability across socio-economic groups. Composite indices of socio-economic status were created using a set of common assets and household characteristics. Results: This study demonstrates the existence of socio-economic gradients in self-reported ill-health in South Africa. The burden of the major categories of ill-health and disability is greater among lower than higher socioeconomic groups. Even non-communicable diseases, which are frequently seen as diseases of affluence, are increasingly being reported by lower socio-economic groups. For instance, the concentration index of flu (and diabetes) declined from about 0.17 (0.10) in 2002 to 0.05 (0.01) in 2008. These results have also been confirmed internationally. Conclusion: The current burden and distribution of ill-health indicates how critical it is for the South African health system to strive for access to and use of health services that is in line with need for such care. Concerted government efforts, within both the health sector and other social and economic sectors are therefore needed to address the significant health inequalities in South Africa.
In Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa, health care financing is progressive overall. However, out-o... more In Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa, health care financing is progressive overall. However, out-of-pocket payments and health insurance for the informal sector are regressive. The distribution of health care benefits is generally pro-rich. This paper explores the factors influencing these distributions in the three countries. Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with insurance scheme members, the uninsured, health care providers and managers. Household surveys were also conducted in all countries. Flat-rate contributions contributed to the regressivity of informal sector voluntary schemes, either by design (in Tanzania) or due to difficulties in identifying household income levels (in Ghana). In all three countries, the regressivity of out-of-pocket payments is due to the incomplete enforcement of exemption and waiver policies, partial or no insurance cover among poorer segments of the population and limited understanding of entitlements among these groups. Generally, the pro-rich distribution of benefits is due to limited access to higher level facilities among poor and rural populations, who rely on public primary care facilities and private pharmacies. Barriers to accessing health care include medical and transport costs, exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive insurance coverage among poorer groups. Service availability problems, including frequent drug stock-outs, limited or no diagnostic equipment, unpredictable opening hours and insufficient skilled staff also limit service access. Poor staff attitudes and lack of confidence in the skills of health workers were found to be important barriers to access. Financing reforms should therefore not only consider how to generate funds for health care, but also explicitly address the full range of affordability, availability and acceptability barriers to access in order to achieve equitable financing and benefit incidence patterns.
Background: In order to measure and analyse the technical efficiency of district hospitals in Gha... more Background: In order to measure and analyse the technical efficiency of district hospitals in Ghana, the specific objectives of this study were to (a) estimate the relative technical and scale efficiency of government, mission, private and quasi-government district hospitals in Ghana in 2005; (b) estimate the magnitudes of output increases and/or input reductions that would have been required to make relatively inefficient hospitals more efficient; and (c) use Tobit regression analysis to estimate the impact of ownership on hospital efficiency. Methods: In the first stage, we used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the efficiency of 128 hospitals comprising of 73 government hospitals, 42 mission hospitals, 7 quasi-government hospitals and 6 private hospitals. In the second stage, the estimated DEA efficiency scores are regressed against hospital ownership variable using a Tobit model. This was a retrospective study.
Background: With the date for achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ap... more Background: With the date for achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaching fast, there is a heightened concern about equity, as inequities hamper progress towards the MDGs. Equity-focused approaches have the potential to accelerate the progress towards achieving the health-related MDGs faster than the current pace in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner. Ghana's rate of progress towards MDGs 4 and 5 related to reducing child and maternal mortality respectively is less than what is required to achieve the targets. The objective of this paper is to examine the equity dimension of child and maternal health outcomes and interventions using Ghana as a case study. Methods: Data from Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2008 report is analyzed for inequities in selected maternal and child health outcomes and interventions using population-weighted, regression-based measures: slope index of inequality and relative index of inequality.
Background: The 58th World Health Assembly and 56th WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopted res... more Background: The 58th World Health Assembly and 56th WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopted resolutions urging Member States to ensure that health financing systems included a method for prepayment to foster financial risk sharing among the population and avoid catastrophic health-care expenditure. The Regional Committee asked countries to strengthen or develop comprehensive health financing policies. This paper presents the findings of a survey conducted among senior staff of selected Eritrean ministries and agencies to elicit views on some of the elements likely to be part of a national health financing policy. Methods: This is a descriptive study. A questionnaire was prepared and sent to 19 senior staff (Directors) in the Ministry of Health, Labour Department, Civil Service Administration, Eritrean Confederation of Workers, National Insurance Corporation of Eritrea and Ministry of Local Government. The respondents were selected by the Ministry of Health as key informants.
... payment for services. Substantial evidence exist that user fees adversely affect health servi... more ... payment for services. Substantial evidence exist that user fees adversely affect health service utilisation particularly for the poorest groups of people (Santon and Clemens 1989; Yoder 1989; Mwanzia and Mwabu 1993). There have ...
Background: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been used to analyze the efficiency of the health... more Background: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been used to analyze the efficiency of the health sector in the developed world for sometime now. However, in developing economies and particularly in Africa only a few studies have applied DEA in measuring the efficiency of their health care systems.
Background: Tobacco use is a public health problem, responsible for approximately six million dea... more Background: Tobacco use is a public health problem, responsible for approximately six million deaths annually worldwide. It is a risk factor for many diseases including cancers, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In low-and middle-income countries, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are important causes of death. Tobacco use is prevalent in Ghana, but no study had examined the relationship between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana. Hence the paper assessed the association between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in that region. Methods: The study used verbal autopsy data collected from the Kassena-Nankana East and West districts of the Upper East Region of Northern Ghana. Data from deceased individuals aged 15 to 59 years whose deaths occurred between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2011 and with a known cause as well as smoking status were analyzed. Two binary outcome variables were generated from the cause of death data; whether an individual died from respiratory diseases or not, and from cardiovascular diseases or not. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Results: Out of 3,492 deaths with a known cause of death and smoking status, a third of them smoked. About 16.6% of smokers and 8.1% of non-smokers died from respiratory diseases. Approximately, 10.7% of smokers died from cardiovascular diseases compared to 10.6% of non-smokers. In multivariate analyses, individuals with a history of smoking had two-fold increased odds [OR=2.18, 95% CI (1.6-2.9)] of dying from respiratory diseases. Besides, the number of years of smoking as well as the frequency of smoking is significantly associated with deaths from respiratory diseases. No association existed between tobacco use and deaths from cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions: Within our study we identified a strong relationship between tobacco use and deaths from respiratory diseases, but not an association with deaths from cardiovascular diseases. Our findings highlight the need to make appropriate health interventions to control tobacco use and thus help reduce premature deaths from respiratory and other tobacco linked diseases.
Advances in health economics and health services research, 2009
Measurement of the incidence of health financing contributions across socio-economic groups has p... more Measurement of the incidence of health financing contributions across socio-economic groups has proven valuable in informing health care financing reforms. However, there is little evidence as to how to carry out financing incidence analysis (FIA) in lower income settings. We outline some of the challenges faced when carrying out a FIA in Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa and illustrate how innovative techniques were used to overcome data weaknesses in these settings. FIA was carried out for tax, insurance and out-of-pocket (OOP) payments. The primary data sources were Living Standards Measurement Surveys (LSMS) and household surveys conducted in each of the countries; tax authorities and insurance funds also provided information. Consumption expenditure and a composite index of socioeconomic status (SES) were used to assess financing equity. Where possible conventional methods of FIA were applied. Numerous challenges were documented and solution strategies devised. LSMS are likely t...
Health systems in developing countries including Ghana are faced with critical resource constrain... more Health systems in developing countries including Ghana are faced with critical resource constraints in pursuing the goal of improving the health status of the population. The constrained ability to adequately meet health care needs is exacerbated by inefficiency in the health care systems, especially within public health centres. The study used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, to calculate the technical and allocative efficiency of 113 randomly sampled health centres. A logistic regression model was also applied on whether a health centre was technically efficient or not to determine the factors that significantly influence the efficiency of health centres. The findings showed that 78% of health centres were technically inefficient and so were using resources that they did not actually need. Eight-eight percent were also allocatively inefficient. The overall efficiency, (product of the technical and allocative efficiency), was also calculated and over 90% of the health centre...
Background In 2012, WHO changed its recommendation for intermittent preventive treatment of malar... more Background In 2012, WHO changed its recommendation for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) from two doses to monthly doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine during the second and third trimesters, but noted the importance of a cost-eff ectiveness analysis to lend support to the decision of policy makers. We therefore estimated the incremental cost-eff ectiveness of IPTp with three or more (IPTp-SP3+) versus two doses of sulfadoxinepyrimethamine (IPTp-SP2).
Protecting the poor and vulnerable against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global ... more Protecting the poor and vulnerable against the cost of unforeseen ill health has become a global concern culminating in the 2005 World Health Assembly resolution urging member states to ensure financial protection to all citizens, especially children and women of reproductive age. Ghana provides financial protection to its citizens through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Launched in 2004, its proponents claim that the NHIS is a pro-poor financial commitment that implements the World Health Assembly resolution. Using 2011 survey data collected in seven districts in northern Ghana from 5469 women aged 15 to 49 the paper explores the extent to which poor child-bearing age mothers are covered by the NHIS in Ghana's poorest and most remote region. Factors associated with enrolment into the NHIS are estimated with logistic regression models employing covariates for household relative socio-economic status (SES), location of residence and maternal educational attainment, m...
Diarrhea caused by rotaviruses is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization among pediat... more Diarrhea caused by rotaviruses is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization among pediatric patients in rural communities of developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, and it is a major cause of death in these communities. The complexity of diarrhea and the increasing cost of treatment puts additional burden on the health sector. To demonstrate the economic burden of diarrhea to policy makers, this study was conducted to estimate the treatment cost of diarrhea in children !5 years old in Ghana using the World Health Organization protocol for cost data collection and estimation. The study was undertaken in Navrongo War Memorial Hospital in northern Ghana. Cost estimates were made for 3 treatment scenarios observed: (1) treatment by rehydration, (2) treatment by rehydration and antibiotics, and (3) treatment of diarrhea and other diseases. The average outpatient treatment costs for the 3 treatment scenarios were US$3.86, $4.10, and $4.35 respectively, and the average treatment costs for hospitalization (inpatient care) were $65.14, $97.40, and $133.86 respectively. The annual national treatment costs, based on the 3 treatment scenarios, ranged from $907,116 to $1,851,280 for outpatients clinic visits and from $701,833 to $4,581,213 for hospitalizations. The average length of stay for the inpatients ranged from 2.3 to 4.9 days. The study did not cover patient costs (ie, household costs).
Background: Inequalities in health have received considerable attention from health scientists an... more Background: Inequalities in health have received considerable attention from health scientists and economists. In South Africa, inequalities exist in socio-economic status (SES) and in access to basic social services and are exacerbated by inequalities in health. While health systems, together with the wider social determinants of health, are relevant in seeking to improve health status and health inequalities, those that need good quality health care too seldom get it. Studies on the burden of ill-health in South Africa have shown consistently that, relative to the wealthy, the poor suffer more from more disease and violence. However, these studies are based on selected disease conditions and only consider a single point in time. Trend analyses have yet to be produced. This paper specifically investigates socio-economic related health inequality in South Africa and seeks to understand how the burden of self-reported illness and disability is distributed and whether this has changed since the early 2000s. data were used, with standardized and normalized self-reported illness and disability concentration indices to assess the distribution of illness and disability across socio-economic groups. Composite indices of socio-economic status were created using a set of common assets and household characteristics. Results: This study demonstrates the existence of socio-economic gradients in self-reported ill-health in South Africa. The burden of the major categories of ill-health and disability is greater among lower than higher socioeconomic groups. Even non-communicable diseases, which are frequently seen as diseases of affluence, are increasingly being reported by lower socio-economic groups. For instance, the concentration index of flu (and diabetes) declined from about 0.17 (0.10) in 2002 to 0.05 (0.01) in 2008. These results have also been confirmed internationally. Conclusion: The current burden and distribution of ill-health indicates how critical it is for the South African health system to strive for access to and use of health services that is in line with need for such care. Concerted government efforts, within both the health sector and other social and economic sectors are therefore needed to address the significant health inequalities in South Africa.
In Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa, health care financing is progressive overall. However, out-o... more In Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa, health care financing is progressive overall. However, out-of-pocket payments and health insurance for the informal sector are regressive. The distribution of health care benefits is generally pro-rich. This paper explores the factors influencing these distributions in the three countries. Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with insurance scheme members, the uninsured, health care providers and managers. Household surveys were also conducted in all countries. Flat-rate contributions contributed to the regressivity of informal sector voluntary schemes, either by design (in Tanzania) or due to difficulties in identifying household income levels (in Ghana). In all three countries, the regressivity of out-of-pocket payments is due to the incomplete enforcement of exemption and waiver policies, partial or no insurance cover among poorer segments of the population and limited understanding of entitlements among these groups. Generally, the pro-rich distribution of benefits is due to limited access to higher level facilities among poor and rural populations, who rely on public primary care facilities and private pharmacies. Barriers to accessing health care include medical and transport costs, exacerbated by the lack of comprehensive insurance coverage among poorer groups. Service availability problems, including frequent drug stock-outs, limited or no diagnostic equipment, unpredictable opening hours and insufficient skilled staff also limit service access. Poor staff attitudes and lack of confidence in the skills of health workers were found to be important barriers to access. Financing reforms should therefore not only consider how to generate funds for health care, but also explicitly address the full range of affordability, availability and acceptability barriers to access in order to achieve equitable financing and benefit incidence patterns.
Background: In order to measure and analyse the technical efficiency of district hospitals in Gha... more Background: In order to measure and analyse the technical efficiency of district hospitals in Ghana, the specific objectives of this study were to (a) estimate the relative technical and scale efficiency of government, mission, private and quasi-government district hospitals in Ghana in 2005; (b) estimate the magnitudes of output increases and/or input reductions that would have been required to make relatively inefficient hospitals more efficient; and (c) use Tobit regression analysis to estimate the impact of ownership on hospital efficiency. Methods: In the first stage, we used data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the efficiency of 128 hospitals comprising of 73 government hospitals, 42 mission hospitals, 7 quasi-government hospitals and 6 private hospitals. In the second stage, the estimated DEA efficiency scores are regressed against hospital ownership variable using a Tobit model. This was a retrospective study.
Background: With the date for achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ap... more Background: With the date for achieving the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approaching fast, there is a heightened concern about equity, as inequities hamper progress towards the MDGs. Equity-focused approaches have the potential to accelerate the progress towards achieving the health-related MDGs faster than the current pace in a more cost-effective and sustainable manner. Ghana's rate of progress towards MDGs 4 and 5 related to reducing child and maternal mortality respectively is less than what is required to achieve the targets. The objective of this paper is to examine the equity dimension of child and maternal health outcomes and interventions using Ghana as a case study. Methods: Data from Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2008 report is analyzed for inequities in selected maternal and child health outcomes and interventions using population-weighted, regression-based measures: slope index of inequality and relative index of inequality.
Background: The 58th World Health Assembly and 56th WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopted res... more Background: The 58th World Health Assembly and 56th WHO Regional Committee for Africa adopted resolutions urging Member States to ensure that health financing systems included a method for prepayment to foster financial risk sharing among the population and avoid catastrophic health-care expenditure. The Regional Committee asked countries to strengthen or develop comprehensive health financing policies. This paper presents the findings of a survey conducted among senior staff of selected Eritrean ministries and agencies to elicit views on some of the elements likely to be part of a national health financing policy. Methods: This is a descriptive study. A questionnaire was prepared and sent to 19 senior staff (Directors) in the Ministry of Health, Labour Department, Civil Service Administration, Eritrean Confederation of Workers, National Insurance Corporation of Eritrea and Ministry of Local Government. The respondents were selected by the Ministry of Health as key informants.
... payment for services. Substantial evidence exist that user fees adversely affect health servi... more ... payment for services. Substantial evidence exist that user fees adversely affect health service utilisation particularly for the poorest groups of people (Santon and Clemens 1989; Yoder 1989; Mwanzia and Mwabu 1993). There have ...
Background: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been used to analyze the efficiency of the health... more Background: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been used to analyze the efficiency of the health sector in the developed world for sometime now. However, in developing economies and particularly in Africa only a few studies have applied DEA in measuring the efficiency of their health care systems.
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Papers by James Akazili