Study evaluates TB patients’ out-of-pocket expenditure

Genesis Analytics was contracted by the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) to act as one of the regional coordinating partners on a study to estimate and analyse the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) that TB patients in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia incur when accessing health services. The study was part of the Southern Africa TB and Health Systems Support Project funded by the World Bank.

The purpose of the study was to inform the evidence-based design of social and financial protection interventions to reduce the barriers for accessing TB services.

In the target countries, TB patients’ OOPE includes direct and indirect costs incurred by individuals and the household from diagnosis to conclusion of treatment. The analysis therefore assesses drivers of OOPE and the extent to which spending is catastrophic.

The Genesis team designed protocol and tools aligned to WHO guidelines, assured the quality of training and fieldwork in each country, and conducted regional quantitative data analysis to inform the formulation of key findings and recommendations for the region.

In each country, local partners undertook the study with a national representative sample of TB patients. Genesis acted as the local partner in Mozambique and Zambia.

A multi-disciplinary Genesis team collaborated to implement this assignment. The team combined the expertise of statisticians and programme experts as well as extensive experience gained from implementing large costing studies in the health sector. Countries will use the findings to advocate for policy reform and guidance.