Financial hardship from drug resistant tuberculosis in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; A patient cost survey
Abstract: Even though tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment is free, households affected by drug resistant (DR) TB incur hidden costs from direct “out of pocket” expenses for consultations, transport, additional food and natural remedies, as well as lost income from personal and family members’ time away from work. The global TB strategy prioritises protecting all DR TB-affected households from financial hardship because of hidden DR TB-related costs. In Brazil, universal health coverage protects DR TB patients’ from direct “out-of-pocket” expenses for medical services. Governmental social insurance sickness benefits from auxilio-doenca, or social assistance cash transfers from Bolsa Familia or Beneficio de Prestacao Continuada might also reimburse DR TB patients’ lost income. This seminar will discuss results from a patient survey that investigated receipt of governmental social insurance or social assistance amongst 120 DR TB patients being accompanied at the Professor Helio Fraga reference centre in Rio de Janeiro state, and its effect on their DR TB-related costs and associated financial hardship.
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Contact
Any queries or if you are interested in giving a talk as part of the TB Centre Seminar Series email: Marek at tbseminars@lshtm.ac.uk
