The economic impact of dengue hemorrhagic fever on family level in Southern Vietnam.

Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes (Aedes Aegypti). WHO estimates that 40% of the world's population live in areas endemic for dengue fever, and that there are approximately 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year. This study aims to measure the economic consequences of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Southern Vietnam on family level. Estimating the economic impact of dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever is important in order to prioritize resources for research, prevention, and control. So far no studies from Vietnam concerning this subject have been published. The study is based on standardized interviews. The study includes 175 children at the age 0-15 years, hospitalized in Children's Hospital No 1 in Ho Chi Minh City during a 10-week period in the fall of 2005. The children's parents/caretakers were interviewed on expenses related to the child's disease. The study shows that the average family cost of treating one child is approximately 61 USD including direct and indirect costs. On average, the largest expenses were those related to the initial visit at a local general practitioner, the hospital bill from Children's Hospital No1 and lost income for the parents. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is a large expense for a family and can rightly be considered as a substantial socio-economic burden in Southern Vietnam. Larger studies are needed for a more accurate estimate of the extent of the expenses related to both dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever.