Cost-utility of burns management in Nigeria: a case study of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu.

A major problem of burns is the high cost of management, as well as the discrimination and disability they can cause to patients. Maximising resource utilisation is of key importance for lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) like Nigeria. There is a need to know if Nigerian patients who were victims of burns get the best value for money. This study aimed to evaluate the average cost of managing burns in Nigeria, and determine if the treatment approach is cost-effective. The study was a cost-utility analysis from the perspective of health service providers in Nigeria, a case study of the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu (NOHE) using 2013 Microsoft excel. Data on the cost of burn management were obtained from a retrospective study conducted in NOHE in 2012 on 285 patients. Costs were adjusted to reflect the future (2015) value using a real interest rate of 3%. These costs were presented in 2015 US dollars, and a discount rate of 3% was used for both cost and outcome. Health outcome was presented in disability adjusted life years (DALYs). Based on a cost-effectiveness threshold of $2,758.4 (i.e. representing Nigerian GDP/capita), burn management is cost-effective in Nigeria ($526.68/DALY averted). The result also showed that the cost of managing burns in Nigeria is $7,123.28 per patient, which is more than the average income. Burn management in Nigeria is cost-effective but too expensive for most Nigerians to afford.