HOUSEHOLD RESPONSES TO MALARIA AND THEIR COSTS - A STUDY FROM RURAL SRI-LANKA

A study of the cost of malaria at the household level, community perce ptions, preventive measures and illness behaviour linked to the diseas e was undertaken in 5 villages in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The surve yed community had a high knowledge of malaria, although side effects o f antimalarial drugs were often confused with symptoms of the disease. The community sought prompt diagnosis and treatment at 'western-type' facilities, with 84% making use of government facilities as their fir st choice and 16% preferring private facilities. The preventive measur es used were burning coils (54% of families) and special leaves (69% o f families), and 93% of the families had their houses sprayed with ins ecticides. Average direct expenditure on a single malaria episode was US$3, with some families spending more than 10% of the annual househol d net income per episode. The highest expenditure was on special diets for the sick person, to neutralize the perceived heating effect of th e disease and its treatment.