Economic impact of febrile morbidity and use of permethrin-impregnated bed-nets in a malarious area I. Study of demographics, morbidity, and household expenditures associated with febrile morbidity in the republic of benin

In preparation for a study on the effect of bed net use on malaria, this ar ticle describes febrile morbidity and malaria expenditures in a sub-Saharan area (Benin) of hyperendemic malaria. The 325 randomly selected households were visited weekly between April 1994 and March 1995 to determine febrile morbidity and household expenditures for prevention and treatment. The res ults indicate that rural children had two febrile episodes annually compare d with 0.3 episodes among children living in the city. There was no differe nce in mean annual febrile episodes between adults and children (adults = 1 .5, children = 1.5; P = 0.48) and in the expenditures per febrile episode ( adults = US$1.85, children = US$1.62; P = 0.45). Annual prevention expendit ures were higher for adults than for children (US$1.73 and US$1.28, respect ively; P < 0.001), although there was no significant difference in expendit ures for annual treatment for adults and children (US$2.15 and US$2.34, res pectively). These and other findings are analyzed further and discussed.