The cost of uncomplicated childhood fevers to Kenyan households: implications for reaching international access targets

Table 1 The average cost of a childhood fever in Kenya

	Units	Branch 1	Branch 2	Branch 3
Branch Probabilities	probability ^1	0.30	0.38	0.32
Stage 1. Costs at Home
Child Days Sick This Stage	Days ^1	4.80	3.10	4.60
Caretaker Time This Stage	Days ^2	1.20	0.78	1.15
Value of Caretaker Time	KES/Day ^2	78.30	78.30	78.30
Total Value of Caretaker Time This Stage	KES	93.96	60.68	90.05
Cost Of Medicines and/or Other Treatments This Stage	KES ^1	37.50	0.00	0.00
Total Cost Stage 1	KES	131.46	60.68	90.05
Stage 2. Cost of Travel to a HCF (Round Trip)
Caretaker Travel Time (Round Trip)	Days ^3		0.50
Value of Caretaker Time	KES/Day ^2		78.30
Total Value of Caretaker Time Stage	KES		39.15
Cash Travel Expenses (Caregiver + Child)	KES ^3		25.00
Total Cost Stage 2	KES		64.15
Stage 3. Costs at a HCF
% Treated with AM	probability ^4		0.87
Average cost if treated with AM	KES^4		35.70
% Not treated with AM	probability^4		0.13
Average cost if not treated with AM	KES^4		38.60
Average Cost at HCF	KES		36.08
Caretaker Time at a HCF and at home until fever resolves	Days ^2		0.68
Value of Caretaker Time	KES/Day ^2		78.30
Total Costs Stage 3	KES		89.32
Mean cost of fever managed in each branch	KES	131.46	214.15	90.05
	$	1.68	2.74	1.15
of which
direct cash expenditures	KES	37.50	61.08	0.00
	$	0.48	0.78	0.00
days of caretaker time	Days	1.20	1.96	1.15
opportunity cost of caretaker time	KES	93.96	153.08	90.05
	$	1.20	1.96	1.15
Mean cost of fever	KES	149.63
	$	1.91

ISSN: 1471-2458