Authors: Stéphane Verguet, Shane Murphy, Benjamin O. Anderson, Kjell Arne Johansson, Roger Glass, Richard Rheingans
An estimated 4% of global child deaths (approximately 300,000 deaths) were attributed to rotavirus in 2010.About a third of these deaths occurred in India and Ethiopia. Public finance of rotavirus vaccination in these two countries could substantially decrease child mortality and also reduce rotavirus related hospitalizations, prevent health-related impoverishment and bring significant cost savings to households.
Methods: We use a methodology of ‘extended cost-effectiveness analysis (ECEA) to evaluate a hypothetical publicly financed program for rotavirus vaccination in India and Ethiopia. We measure program impact along four dimensions: 1) rotavirus deaths averted; 2) household expenditures averted; 3) financial risk protection afforded; 4) distributional consequences across the wealth strata of the country populations. More