Evaluation of the economic impact of malaria burden (services) on vulnerable groups in Cote d’Ivoire

The two-fold purpose of the Côte d’Ivoire Malaria Burden evaluation is to: 1. Assess the economic impact of malaria services on vulnerable people groups (children under 5 and pregnant women) in Côte d’Ivoire. 2. Assess the effectiveness of the gratuity policies enacted by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire at increasing or facilitating health services access and use to vulnerable populations. Health facility survey : Respondents interviewed were facilities’ managers or any authorized staff. Information collected include basic demographic information and the professional profile of the respondent in addition to the technical information on malaria interventions and the implementation of free health services in the facility. In particular, the survey questions focused on malaria case management at facility level , the cost of care for vulnerable segments of the population, implementation of the services that the facility is expected to provide, emphasizing the free health service, the availability of malaria control supplies, the FHSP guidelines, and management tools at facility level. Beneficiary survey: The beneficiary’s exit survey interview was conducted in each of the selected 50 health facilities across 3 regions. Data was collected from patients/parents of children under age five years on malaria burden and economic impact on households, the cost of health expenditures, level of satisfaction regarding the FHSP from the beneficiaries’ perspective. Interviews will focus on the client’s experience of services they received especially, (a) malaria-related preventive and case management care (provision of LLIN, IPT, testing, treatment, client-provider communication, gender consideration), (b) free malaria services (free services offered if any, their experience about the free malaria service, their health expenses, especially regarding malaria). Respondents will be pregnant women, adult patients (age 18 and over) and/or parents (caretakers) of children under 5 years.