Browsing by Author "Mboko, Lewis Tendai"

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    Assessing the economic impact of road traffic injuries on privately insured healthcare recipients in South Africa during the covid-19 pandemic
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Mboko, Lewis Tendai; Sophia, du Plessis; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) are a global public health problem, with around 1.3 million deaths annually. According to the World Health Organisation (2020), road traffic injuries are the 10th leading cause of death in upper-middle-income countries and constitute one of the five major diseases and conditions with the highest mortality and morbidity in South Africa (Mabuza, Titus and Adeniji, 2020). Cost of Injury (COI) studies are essential to estimate the burden of injuries and are good guides for policymaking, priority setting, and public health management. However, a few COI studies have been conducted in low- and middle-income countries, even though more than 85% of injuries and death happen in the developing world (Wijnen, 2021). South Africa is not an exception to the lack of sufficient studies to assess the socioeconomic impact of road traffic crashes. The lack of studies makes it difficult to assess the cost-effectiveness of prevention methods, resulting in a lack of comprehension of the problem's scope. Aim: This study aimed to comprehensively assess the economic burden of road traffic injuries in South Africa by incorporating both direct medical costs and indirect costs from a healthcare system perspective in the private sector. Methods: Employing a retrospective Cost of Illness (COI) approach, the study evaluated the direct medical costs of road traffic injuries among BestMed-insured patients involved in accidents during 2020 and 2021. Furthermore, Indirect costs, including productivity loss and long-term healthcare expenses, were estimated using data from previous studies. Detailed claims information was utilized to track patient treatment costs specifically related to the respective accidents. Results: The average medical direct cost for treating a single road traffic injury in the study cohort was R58 964 ($3211), equivalent to 588% of South Africa's health expenditure per capita and 50.7% of the average Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. Incorporating indirect costs substantially increased the economic burden of RTIs. The average indirect cost per crash stood at R 196,699 ($11,015). Factors such as gender, comorbidities, complications, hospital stay duration, and Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs) significantly influenced injury costs. Conclusion: South Africa's average cost of treating road traffic injuries is significantly higher than the country's healthcare expenditure per capita. Cost of Injury analyses, stratification of costs, and employing regression models with accurate cost data provides a better understanding of the overall economic burden of road traffic injuries in South Africa. Placing a financial value on the tangible and intangible losses attributed to road traffic crashes makes the need for immediate and far-reaching intervention clear to policymakers and decision-makers.