Vu Duy Kien, MD, PhD, Hoang Van Minh, MD, PhD, Nguyen Bao Ngoc, BPH, ...

Abstract

A costly modern-day double burden, the expenses of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is becoming a devastating epidemic. The World Health Organization estimates $7 trillion in economic losses from NCDs in 2011-2025. Although regarded as affluent diseases, the burden of NCDs is shifting into poorer groups. In this study, we assessed the socioeconomic inequalities in catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment associated with NCDs in Northern Vietnam. We also identified associated factors for catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment. Households self-reporting NCD diagnoses had the highest association with both catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment, followed by those in urban areas. Such households were likely poorer according to our calculations estimating socioeconomic inequalities. Households with at least 1 member older than 60 years were also more likely to suffer catastrophic health expenditures. These findings suggest that targeted policy to prevent or subsidize care for NCDs could prevent catastrophic health expenditure and impoverishment among those already most disadvantaged.

Full – text link:

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1010539517712919

Source: Center for Population Health Sciences (CPHS) – Hanoi University of Public Health