Typhoid Vaccine Economics (TyVAC Economics)

Challenge

Typhoid (enteric fever) is a febrile disease caused by the bacteria Salmonella Typhi. Global estimates of typhoid fever range from 11.9 to 27.0 million cases and 129,000 to 270,000 deaths each year, with most of the burden concentrated in Asia and Africa (Buckle et al., 2012; Mogasale et al., 2014). Typhoid fever predominantly affects children and causes high fever and abdominal pain which may last up to one month.

Typhoid fever is a common cause of febrile illness in Nepal. A recent survey of 11 hospitals in the Kathmandu valley counted 9,901 blood culture confirmed cases between 2008 and 2012 (Bajracharya et al., 2014). So far, no studies have measured the economic burden of typhoid fever in Nepal; however, estimates of the cost per case range from $67.59 to $87.25 in Karachi, Pakistan and Hue, Vietnam, respectively (Poulos et al., 2011). Typhoid fever contributes substantially to the economic burden of disease in countries of Asia based on estimates from nearby countries.

Approach

The TyVAC Economics Program is a comprehensive set of policy research activities including cost of illness (COI) studies, cost of delivery studies, household catastrophic expenditure assessments, and cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs). These activities are designed to assist public sector decision-makers at national, regional, and global levels to make informed decisions about typhoid conjugate vaccine investments. Key questions addressed by these analyses relate to the evidence and data that public decision-makers would need to make informed decisions about the role of TCV in Asia and Africa.