Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2024 Aug 15:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09286586.2024.2372803. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: With the expansion of neonatal care in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), an increasing number of premature babies are at risk to develop retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Previous studies have quantified the cost-effectiveness of addressing ROP in middle-income countries, but few have focused on SSA. This study estimates the cost of a national program for ROP screening and anti-VEGF injection treatment in Rwanda compared to the status quo.
METHODS: Medical cost data were collected from King Faisal Hospital in Rwanda (July 2022). Societal burden of vision loss included lost productivity and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Published data on epidemiology and natural history of ROP were used to estimate burden and sequelae of ROP in Rwanda. Cost of a national program for screening and treating a one-year birth cohort was compared to the status quo using a decision analysis model.
RESULTS: Cost of ROP screening and treatment was $738 per infant. The estimated equipment cost necessary for the startup of a national program was $58,667. We projected that a national program could avert 257 cases of blindness in the cohort and increase QALYs compared to the status quo. Screening and treatment for ROP would save an estimated $270,000 for the birth cohort from reductions in lost productivity.
CONCLUSION: The cost of screening and anti-VEGF treatment for ROP is substantially less than the indirect cost of vision loss due to ROP. Allocating additional funding towards expansion of ROP screening and treatment is cost-saving from a societal perspective compared to current practice.
PMID:39146466 | DOI:10.1080/09286586.2024.2372803
