ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HYPERTENSION IN NIGERIA: Empirical Evidence from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
- A. Idris
- O. Olaniyi
- ( paper pages. 1 - 28 )
Abstract
One of the predominant measures of quality of life in an economy isthe health status of residents and an important measure of this is theburden of diseases that ravage the health of its members.Hypertension has become a daunting public health challenge globallyas it affects a substantial number of people of productive age withserious socioeconomic consequences. However, very few studies haveexamined the economic burden posed by hypertension on individualsliving with the disease in Nigeria. This study analysed the effect ofhypertension on the income, savings and productivity of people livingwith hypertension (PLWH) in Nigeria. Data were collected using thesurvey method from the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and theNational Hospital, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Data wereanalysed using logistic regression and descriptive statisticstechniques. The results revealed negative relationships betweenhypertension and patients’ income, productivity, and savings.Catastrophic spending was estimated using household’s capacity topay method and results revealed that average annual total costattributable to hypertension is N= 145,086:12k per patient.Hypertension-related expenditure is catastrophic in 30.5% of theleast-paid respondents. The study concludes that hypertension posesa heavy burden to victims, and catastrophic spending, especiallyamong individuals living below the poverty line, suggests thathypertension is one of the drivers of poverty. The paper therefore,recommends public and private intervention programmes, such as provision of affordable drugs by way of subsidy, expansion of primaryhealth-care services and new techniques in handling the disease at alllevels of government.
Citation
A. Idris, O. Olaniyi.
2020.
"ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC BURDEN OF HYPERTENSION IN NIGERIA: Empirical Evidence from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja"
The Nigerian Journal of Economic and Social Studies,
62 (2): 1 - 28.
JEL Classification
A10, I11, I15, I31
