Human African trypanosomiasis in a rural community, democratic Republic of Congo.According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the World Health Organization, human African trypanosomiasis African trypanosomiasis n. Either of two types of an often fatal, endemic infectious disease of humans and animals in tropical Africa: Gambian trypanosomiasis or Rhodesian trypanosomiasis. (HAT) (sleeping sickness sleeping sickness: see encephalitis; trypanosomiasis. sleeping sickness Protozoal disease transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly. Two forms, caused by different species of the genus Trypanosoma, occur in separate regions in Africa. ) caused the loss of [approximately equal to] 1.5 million disability-adjusted life years Disability-adjusted life years (DALY) is a measure for the overall "burden of disease." Originally developed by the World Health Organization, it is becoming increasingly common in the field of public health and health impact assessment (HIA). (DALYs) in 2002. We describe the effect of HAT during 2000-2002 in Buma, a rural community near Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We used retrospective questionnaire surveys to estimate HAT-related household costs and DALYs. The HAT outbreak in Buma involved 57 patients and affected 47 (21%) households. The cost to each household was equivalent to 5 months' income for that household. The total number of HAT-related DALYs was 2,145, and interventions to control HAT averted a·vert tr.v. a·vert·ed, a·vert·ing, a·verts 1. To turn away: avert one's eyes. 2. 1,408 DALYs. The cost per DALY DALY Disability Adjusted Life-Years averted was US $17. Because HAT has a serious economic effect on households and control interventions are cost-effective, considering only global burden of disease rankings for resource allocation resource allocation Managed care The constellation of activities and decisions which form the basis for prioritizing health care needs could lead to misguided priority setting if applied without caution in HAT-affected countries. ********** Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), or sleeping sickness, is a vectorbome disease caused by the parasite parasite, plant or animal that at some stage of its existence obtains its nourishment from another living organism called the host. Parasites may or may not harm the host, but they never benefit it. Trypanosoma brucei Trypanosoma brucei is parasitic protist species that causes African trypanosomiasis (or sleeping sickness) in humans and animals in Africa. There are 3 sub-species of T.brucei; T.b.brucei, T.b.gambiense and T.b.rhodesiense. . East African Adj. 1. East African - of or relating to or located in East Africa HAT, an acute syndrome, is caused by T. b. rhodesiense; West African West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. HAT, a disease with a more protracted pro·tract tr.v. pro·tract·ed, pro·tract·ing, pro·tracts 1. To draw out or lengthen in time; prolong: disputants who needlessly protracted the negotiations. 2. course, by T. b. gambiense. HAT is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, where it affects mainly the rural poor; the most recent prevalence estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) are 50,000-70,000 cases, based on a total number of 17,500 new cases reported per year worldwide (1). Odiit et al. calculated that 39% of HAT cases and 92% of deaths caused by HAT were unreported in a T. b. rhodesiense--endemic area (2). In the absence of appropriate treatment, HAT infection inevitably leads to death (2). Although historic accounts of devastating dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. epidemics exist (3), the real effect of HAT on communities has not been well documented. WHO estimates that current HAT control activities reach only 10% of persons at risk. HAT control requires considerable resources, and budgets depend mainly on international donors (4). Resource allocation by the latter is often guided by criteria such as burden of disease expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) as proposed by Murray (5,6). This measure is the sum of years lost due to premature death Premature Death occurs when a living thing dies of a cause other than old age. A premature death can be the result of injury, illness, violence, suicide, poor nutrition (often stemming from low income), starvation, dehydration, or other factors. and years lost due to disability. According to WHO global burden of disease estimates, HAT caused 1.5 million DALYs in 2002 (7), which ranks it much lower than most infectious diseases infectious diseases: see communicable diseases. in Africa but high among parasitic diseases A parasitic disease is an infectious disease caused or transmitted by a parasite. Many parasites do not cause disease per se. Parasitic diseases can affect practically all living organisms, from plants to man. The study of parasitic diseases is called by parasitology. . The use of DALYs for priority setting has provoked a lot of discussion, and caution is needed when using them as a tool for planning and resource allocation (8). The current estimate of HAT DALYs is global and does not take into account local and regional aspects. HAT has a clustered distribution, and at times, local attack rates exceed 10%, but HAT is treated in the same way as diseases that have relatively homogeneous attack rates (9). Moreover, differences in the course of the disease caused by T. b. rhodesiense in East Africa and that caused by T. b. gambiense in West and Central Africa are ignored. Another way to express the effect of the disease on communities is to examine its economic effect at the household level (10). The advantage of this approach is that it can enhance our understanding of how disease would cause further impoverishment of the household and even hamper control efforts. Only a few studies concerning the economic effects of HAT have been undertaken. Gouteux et al. measured the days of productivity lost in Niari (Brazzaville, Republic of Congo) and estimated the household cost to be 58,000 CFA francs The CFA franc (in French: franc CFA, "céfa", or just franc colloquially) is a currency used in 12 formerly French-ruled African countries, as well as in Guinea-Bissau (a former Portuguese colony) and in Equatorial Guinea (a former Spanish colony). ([approximately equal to] US $100) (11). These authors suggested that this cost may have contributed to patients' frequently refusing to seek treatment, although treatment is provided for free by the health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract . Despite the fact that almost all HAT control programs subsidize sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. the cost of drugs and hospitalization hospitalization /hos·pi·tal·iza·tion/ (hos?pi-t'l-i-za´shun) 1. the placing of a patient in a hospital for treatment. 2. the term of confinement in a hospital. , often patients either do not seek treatment or only do so a long time after their diagnosis or when their symptoms become more acute (12). Robays et al. showed how the enforced rest period of 6 months after treatment leads asymptomatic a·symp·to·mat·ic adj. Exhibiting or producing no symptoms. Asymptomatic Persons who carry a disease and are usually capable of transmitting the disease but, who do not exhibit symptoms of the disease are said to be patients to refuse treatment for fear of substantial loss of income (13). The indirect cost (i.e., all HAT-related costs incurred by the household that are not for diagnosis, drugs, or care) is a real obstacle that prevents persons from seeking treatment (11). At a time when the world considers the fight against poverty a top priority, we think that the practice of setting priorities for healthcare based on aggregate figures at the global level should be reexamined. We put forward the hypothesis that neglected diseases The Neglected Diseases are a group of tropical infections which are especially endemic in low-income populations in developing regions of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Different groups define the set of diseases differently. such as HAT compromise the economic development and well-being of populations in HAT-endemic regions to a much higher degree than we are led to believe by lists of DALYs established globally (14). The aim of our study was to document the effect of HAT caused by T. b. gambiense during 2000-2002 in a rural community in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC DRC Democratic Republic of Congo DRC Down (Stage) Right Center DRC Director(ate) of Reserve Components DRC Disability Rights Commission (United Kingdom) ) that was affected by a single outbreak. Methods Study Area The study was conducted in the HAT focus of Buma, in the N'sele health district in DRC, 35 km south of Kinshasa. Buma consists of several villages, including Buma-centre (population 1,000) and Kimpolo (population 300). The socioeconomic situation in each village is similar. Agriculture is the main economic activity and produces maize maize: see corn. , charcoal, firewood, vegetables, and leaves for packaging of manioc manioc: see cassava. . These products are sold in the markets of urban Kinshasa. The district medical officer of N'sele health district declared the first suspected cases of HAT near Buma in 2000. The national program soon corroborated cor·rob·o·rate tr.v. cor·rob·o·rat·ed, cor·rob·o·rat·ing, cor·rob·o·rates To strengthen or support with other evidence; make more certain. See Synonyms at confirm. that health facilities had been detecting HAT cases through passive case finding and had been reporting cases from that area for some time. In 2001, the control program sent a mobile team to conduct an active case-finding campaign that was repeated the following years. Screening in 2001 and 2002 confirmed 77 HAT cases in the Buma foci: 20 in Bumacentre and 57 in Kimpolo. Estimating Cost of Illness All households of Buma and Kimpolo in which [greater than or equal to] 1 HAT case was confirmed by the mobile teams or the permanent health facilities from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2002, were eligible. HAT was confirmed by direct microscopic examination of lymph node lymph node Small, rounded mass of lymphoid tissue contained in connective tissue. They occur all along lymphatic vessels, with clusters in certain areas (e.g., neck, groin, armpits). aspirate as·pi·rate v. To take in or remove by aspiration. n. A substance removed by aspiration. Aspirate The removal by suction of a fluid from a body cavity using a needle. , fresh blood film, or thick blood film. In February 2003, we identified all households with confirmed cases of HAT by using a list provided by the village head, information provided by the inhabitants
The game is based loosely on the concepts from SameGame. of Buma and Kimpolo, and data from the epidemiologic surveillance epidemiologic surveillance The ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data essential to planning, implementing, and evaluating public health practice, closely integrated with the timely dissemination of these data to those who need to know of the Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine (PNLTHA) in DRC. Households were visited to ask members to participate in the study. The survey was conducted after working hours and during the weekend by 3 enumerators trained by the principal investigator Noun 1. principal investigator - the scientist in charge of an experiment or research project PI scientist - a person with advanced knowledge of one or more sciences . A pretested questionnaire was used for interviewing the patients, their caregivers, or any other member of the household who could provide useful information. All case-patients in a household were interviewed. We collected data on residence, age, sex, stage of the disease, number of working days lost by the patient and caregiver, and expenses incurred because of HAT. For households with [greater than equal to] 1 case-patient, the time of only 1 caregiver was taken into account. Data on costs were collected in Congolese francs The franc is the currency of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is subdivided into 100 centimes. First franc, 1887-1967 During Belgian colonial rule, currency denominated in centimes and francs was issued for use in Congo. (FC) and converted into US$ at the market rate for 2002, which was 330 FC for 1 US$. The economic cost of HAT comprises household costs and costs to the health system minus transfers from the households to the health system, to avoid double-counting. In this study, household costs included consultation fees, cost of travel, laboratory costs including all household expenses for diagnostic tests, and the cost of hospitalization (all expenses for hospitalization as well as food for the patient and caregiver). Treatment costs included cost of drugs, injections, and small material such as syringes and needles. The total cost of HAT for the household was estimated as the sum of all costs mentioned above and the value of all the days of work lost after HAT confirmation. The value of each day of work lost was estimated separately for each person, according to monthly production of the household. Estimating Household Monthly Income Estimation of monthly household income was based on agricultural production data. To validate this information, these data were compared with household expenses and financial aid received. Children's production was considered to be zero even if the children helped with household tasks. Because the main activity is agriculture and the work in the fields is done by the whole family, quantifying the contribution of the sick person to the household production is difficult. In our calculations, we considered that the whole household was affected, on the assumption that the entire family's activities are disturbed if 1 member is affected by HAT. The income losses are calculated for individual caregivers and patients and then examined as a percentage of total household income. Estimating DALYs In August 2003, we organized a retrospective survey of illness and death among all households of Buma-centre and Kimpolo. Our objective for this second, exhaustive household survey was to measure HAT-related DALYs for confirmed HAT case-patients interviewed previously and for other possibly nondetected HAT-related deaths in the community that were missed by the control program. A questionnaire was developed and pretested in Kimwenza, another rural community near Kinshasa. We collected information for a 3-year recall period, between 2000 and 2002. To help participants determine the recall period, we constructed a local calendar with a number of key events, including the attack of Tutsi rebels on the city in August 1998 and the death of president Laurent Desire Kabila in January 2001. A team of 3 physicians visited all households of Buma and Kimpolo to invite them to participate in the survey. The head of the household or the person in charge was interviewed. Information concerning residence, composition of the household, and economic activities was collected for each household. For each household member we collected information about age, sex, and disease episodes experienced during the recall period. The same information was collected for household members who had died between 2000 and 2002; verbal autopsies (caregiver interviews) were used to help determine the cause of death (15). The interviewers used the following definition for a HAT-related death: a person who died after a protracted disease with loss of weight but without cough or diarrhea; with repeated bouts of fever; and with or without neuropsychiatric neu·ro·psy·chi·a·try n. The medical study of disorders with both neurological and psychiatric features. neu symptoms such as somnolence somnolence /som·no·lence/ (som´no-lens) drowsiness or sleepiness, particularly in excess. som·no·lence n. 1. A state of drowsiness; sleepiness. 2. , psychosis psychosis (sīkō`sĭs), in psychiatry, a broad category of mental disorder encompassing the most serious emotional disturbances, often rendering the individual incapable of staying in contact with reality. , and other behavioral problems. The patient record, if available, was examined to verify findings. For each HAT case and HAT-related death, we documented the degree of disability caused by the disease before, during, and after treatment. The degree of disability was based on the scale proposed by Murray (5), for which we adapted the list of activities for the Congolese setting. To corroborate To support or enhance the believability of a fact or assertion by the presentation of additional information that confirms the truthfulness of the item. The testimony of a witness is corroborated if subsequent evidence, such as a coroner's report or the testimony of other our interview results, we checked other sources of information for illness and death in this community, consulted administrative documents of the neighborhood office, discussed with community leaders, and visited 2 graveyards in Buma and Kimpolo to obtain an exhaustive list of deaths and HAT cases. Calculating DALYs Calculations were based on the recommendations of Murray (5). The total number of DALYs caused by a specific disease is defined as the sum of years lost by the premature death (years of life lost [YLL YLL Years of Life Lost YLL Young Light Lords (gaming clan) ]) of patients and the number of years lived with the disability (YLD YLD Yield YLD Young Lawyers Division YLD Chapleau, Ontario, Canada (Airport Code) YLD Youth Leadership Development (YMCA program) YLD Years Lived with A Disability ) adjusted for the severity of the disability. We used the calculation method, discount rate of 0.03, age weighting factor of 0.04, and age weight modulating factor of 1 proposed by Fox-Rushby and Hanson (16). YLD for each patient was estimated from the questionnaire, and the results were combined to obtain the total number of YLD. To estimate YLL, age categories spanning 5 years were used. The life tables for each age group were estimated by using Population Analysis Spreadsheets software (International Programs Center, Bureau of the Census Noun 1. Bureau of the Census - the bureau of the Commerce Department responsible for taking the census; provides demographic information and analyses about the population of the United States Census Bureau , Washington, DC, USA). Data on age distribution, sex ratio, and crude mortality rate were derived from the 2004 international database of the US Census Bureau Noun 1. Census Bureau - the bureau of the Commerce Department responsible for taking the census; provides demographic information and analyses about the population of the United States Bureau of the Census (www. census.gov/ipc/www/pas.html). When these calculations are used, the number of DALYs may be underestimated because of the poor sensitivity of the active case-finding rounds (12,17). Our exhaustive household survey and interviews with health workers did not entirely correct for this bias because the case definition used for verbal autopsy was specific and mainly applied to patients with more advanced disease. We tried to correct for this by supposing that each undetected case-patient will eventually die. On the basis of observations of Robays et al., we estimated that the effectiveness of the active case finding was 60% per round and that 40% of the cases could not be detected (12). Quantifying DALYs We did an exhaustive census of DALYs caused by HAT in 2 villages affected by the 2000-2002 outbreak. We first used our observations to calculate DALYs caused by HAT in this community. Then we estimated DALYs caused by HAT in absence of any intervention in the same community. To do this we needed to accept a number of assumptions. On the basis of the work of Fevre et al., we estimated that without treatment the median survival time for a person infected in·fect tr.v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects 1. To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent. 2. To communicate a pathogen or disease to. 3. To invade and produce infection in. by T. b. gambiense is 36 months when in the first stage of the HAT disease and 12 months when in the second stage (18). The average degree of disability of persons in the first or second stages of HAT was calculated by using the weightings developed by Murray et al. (5) adapted to the DRC context. We compared the existing intervention measures (active case finding followed by treatment) to hypothetical nonintervention non·in·ter·ven·tion n. Failure or refusal to intervene, especially in the affairs of another nation. non . Data Analysis We entered our data in an Access database (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA). Data were analyzed with Excel (Microsoft Corporation (company) Microsoft Corporation - The biggest supplier of operating systems and other software for IBM PC compatibles. Software products include MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, Microsoft Access, LAN Manager, MS Client, SQL Server, Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC), MS Mail, ) and EpiInfo 2002 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), agency of the U.S. Public Health Service since 1973, with headquarters in Atlanta; it was established in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center. , Atlanta, GA, USA). Results We found 47 households (21% of all households) with [greater than or equal to] 1 new HAT case diagnosed since 2000. We located 57 of the 77 HAT patients reported by PNLTHA in Buma-centre and Kimpolo (74%) during 2000-2002. Four persons died of HAT during this time in this community of 1,300 persons. Table 1 describes the household characteristics. All but 1 patient eventually sought treatment after varying time periods since diagnosis. Patient median age was 26 years (range 4-72 years), and 57% of patients were female. Fifty (87%) of the 57 cases were detected by the mobile team during active case finding. At the time of diagnosis, 36 (63%) were in the first stage of the disease. The median time of patient hospitalization was 10 days (range 7-45 days), and time after hospitalization (including enforced rest) was 90 days (range 30-270 days); time spent by caregiver during and after patient's hospitalization was 10 days (range 0-94 days). The percentages of out-of-pocket expenditures incurred by the 47 households in Buma for 57 HAT cases were as follows: indirect costs Indirect costs are costs that are not directly accountable to a particular function or product; these are fixed costs. Indirect costs include taxes, administration, personnel and security costs. See also
median statistics - a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population of a day's work (Naut.) the account or reckoning of a ship's course for twenty-four hours, from noon to noon. See also: Day per household was US $1.2. The median cost of HAT case per household was US $163.98 (range US $32.30-$3,731.70). This cost represents 43% of the annual revenue of a household (an estimated US $384 [range US $0-$1,980]) and is based on agricultural production and small trade. An attempt to identify HAT cases from before 2000 by using verbal autopsy and other methods was not successful, most likely because this outbreak was recent. The detailed evaluation of the total YLL caused by HAT is shown in Tables 2 and 3. With and without intervention, YLDs weighted for age would be 16 and 40, respectively, and YLLs weighted for age would be 721 and 2,104, respectively. A total of 2,145 DALYs (27 per case) would have occurred in this community had no intervention taken place. Under the current control strategy of repeated active population screening and treatment, the disease still caused 737 DALYs. We conclude that the intervention enabled 1,408 DALYs to be averted at a savings of US $17 per DALY. At a cost of US $301 for HAT control per case detected and patient cured, the total intervention for 79.8 cases (57 cases detected multiplied by a factor of 1.4, assuming 40% of cases remain undetected) was US $24,019.80. Discussion Our study shows that HAT costs households in Buma the equivalent of 5 months of household income, despite the fact that HAT control activities are heavily subsidized sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. . The cost for a patient with complications increases considerably, to as much as 17 months of household income. HAT complications concern mainly the central nervous system; patients with this complication face a substantial loss in productivity and, hence, revenue. The study shows that a large number of working days were lost after treatment for HAT, as the national program recommends a rest period of 6 months. This recommended rest period is not always adhered to exactly; some patients resume their activities after 30 days, but others scrupulously scru·pu·lous adj. 1. Conscientious and exact; painstaking. See Synonyms at meticulous. 2. Having scruples; principled. rest for the full period. This compulsory rest period contributes to the fear of a HAT diagnosis. Our survey involved a limited number of patients in a rural district near the capital. Household incomes in more isolated districts are probably lower than those in Buma, and the effect of HAT on households is thus probably greater. Another limitation of the study was that household income was estimated on the basis of agricultural production. This estimation was validated by the estimation based on households' real expenses. Seasonal variation of agricultural production could affect our results. To better estimate loss of production, a prospective study comparing households with and without HAT would be necessary because the disease is chronic and weakens the household progressively. Our figures are comparable to those of Gouteux et al., who calculated the average household cost of a HAT episode in 1987 in Niari to be US $100 (11). Difficulty finding funds to meet health expenses for HAT has been reported by Odiit et al. (19). Household cost studies have shown that rural populations are often incapable of finding the funds to make even small, symbolic payments for healthcare and disease prevention. In Kenya, households were not able to pay for an impregnated im·preg·nate tr.v. im·preg·nat·ed, im·preg·nat·ing, im·preg·nates 1. To make pregnant; inseminate. 2. To fertilize (an ovum, for example). 3. bed net, even at a reduced price (20). Poor households in Malawi required 32% of their income to cover expenses linked to malaria malaria, infectious parasitic disease that can be either acute or chronic and is frequently recurrent. Malaria is common in Africa, Central and South America, the Mediterranean countries, Asia, and many of the Pacific islands. (21). In Tanzania, the household cost for tuberculosis (in addition to the cost of treatment [US $20]) varied between US $187 and US $1,457 (22). Ours is 1 of few studies to analyze the economic effect of HAT at the household level. This aspect is rarely captured by public health analyses, which often remain at the level of quantifying illness and death. The socioeconomic effect of a severe disease such as HAT goes beyond these figures. During our study in Kimpolo, farmers told us how in the year 2000 they slaughtered all their pigs after the first cases of HAT were identified because a community health worker had advised them to do so to decrease the density of tsetse flies tsetse fly (tsĕt`sē), name for any of several bloodsucking African flies of the genus Glossina, and in the same family as the housefly. . This study estimated that HAT would have caused 2,145 DALYs in the absence of intervention. The intervention carded out by the control program averted 1,408 DALYs at a cost of US $17 per DALY averted. These figures were based on a number of assumptions. When quantifying DALYs, we assumed that a patient would die after a median of 3 years (18). We also assumed, according to the work of Robays et al., that 40% of the real HAT cases remain undetected by 1 screening round and that these case-patients would inevitably die (12). However, in practice, these persons could be detected subsequently at fixed health facilities or during a second visit by a mobile team. The cost of the intervention per DALY averted falls within the ranges modeled by Shaw and Cattand (23). The US $17 cost per DALY averted is lower than for many health interventions health intervention Health care An activity undertaken to prevent, improve, or stabilize a medical condition (e.g., the cost per DALY of US $19-$85 for insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa) and places HAT control in the range of cost-effective interventions (24,25). Nevertheless, the cost of treatment borne by households is considerable and can compromise the timely receipt of treatment. Household members take time to prepare themselves and mobilize mo·bi·lize v. 1. To make mobile or capable of movement. 2. To restore the power of motion to a joint. 3. To release into the body, as glycogen from the liver. resources, relying on the solidarity of the extended family, before they seek treatment for HAT. The high household cost may partly explain the low participation rate at the active screening session organized by the mobile teams (12). We conclude that not only does HAT affect the health of the persons touched by the disease, but also it places a substantial hardship on the affected households. This effect can be fully evaluated only when taking into account specific local situations. Using a global DALYs ranking to set healthcare priorities may not capture the full effect of certain diseases in communities. Acknowledgments We thank the national control program in DRC for its collaboration, D. Dubourg for her help with the estimation of the life expectancy Life Expectancy 1. The age until which a person is expected to live. 2. The remaining number of years an individual is expected to live, based on IRS issued life expectancy tables. , E. Fevre for his suggestions and comments on the study and the manuscript, A. Mpanya and M. Mbuyi for their participation in this study, and J. Robays for his valuable comments. This work was financed partly by a doctoral grant from the Belgian Directorate General for Development Cooperation and by WHO. References (1.) World Health Organization. Human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness): epidemiological update. Wkly Epidemiol Rec. 2006;81:71-80. (2.) Odiit M, Coleman PG, Liu WC, McDermott JJ, Fevre EM, Welburn SC, et al. Quantifying the level of under-detection of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense Trypanosoma brucei rho·de·si·en·se n. A protozoan that is the causative agent of Rhodesian trypanosomiasis. sleeping sickness cases. 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Bull Soc Pathol Exot. 1994;87:307-10. (10.) Russell S Russell, English noble family. It first appeared prominently in the reign of Henry VIII when John Russell, 1st earl of Bedford, 1486?–1555, rose to military and diplomatic importance. . The economic burden of illness for households in developing countries: a review of studies focusing on malaria, tuberculosis, and human immunodeficiency immunodeficiency Defect in immunity that impairs the body's ability to resist infection. The immune system may fail to function for many reasons. Immune disorders caused by a genetic defect are usually evident early in life. virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome immunodeficiency syndrome n. A syndrome associated with an immunological deficiency or disorder and characterized primarily by an increased susceptibility to infection. . Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2004;71:147-55. (11.) Gouteux JP, Bansimba P, Noireau F, Frezil JL. Cost of the individual treatment of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Trypanosoma bru·ce·i gam·bi·en·se n. A protozoan that is the causative agent of Gambian trypanosomiasis. trypanosomiasis in a focus of infection in Niari (Congo) [in French]. Med Trop (Mars). 1987;47:61-3. (12.) Robays J, Miaka MM, Van der Stuyft P, Boelaert M. The effectiveness of active population screening and treatment for sleeping sickness control in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trop Med Int Health. 2004;9:542-50. (13.) Robays J, Lefevre P, Lutumba P, Lubanza S, Kande Betu Ku Mesu V, Van der Stuyft P, et al. Drug toxicity and cost as barriers to community participation in HAT control in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Trop Med Int Health. 2006. In press. (14.) Kapiriri L, Norheim OF, Heggenhougen K. Using burden of disease information for health planning in developing countries: the experience from Uganda. Soc Sci Med. 2003;56:2433-41. (15.) Chandramohan D, Maude GH, Rodrigues LC, Hayes RJ. Verbal autopsies for adult deaths: their development and validation in a multicentre study. Trop Med Int Health. 1998;3:436-46. (16.) Fox-Rushby JA, Hanson K. Calculating and presenting disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in cost-effectiveness analysis cost-effectiveness analysis Cost-utility analysis Clinical trials A form of economic analysis in which alternative interventions are compared in terms of the cost per unit of clinical effect–eg cost per life saved, per mm Hg of lowered BP, per yr of . Health Policy Plan. 2001;16:326-31. (17.) Lutumba P, Robays J, Miaka C, Kande V, Simarro PP, Shaw AP, et al. The efficiency of different detection strategies of human African trypanosomiasis by Z b. gambiense [in French]. Trop Med Int Health. 2005; 10:347-56. (18.) Fevre EM, Coleman PG, Welburu SC, Maudlin maud·lin adj. Effusively or tearfully sentimental: "displayed an almost maudlin concern for the welfare of animals" Aldous Huxley. See Synonyms at sentimental. I. Reanalyzing the 1900-1920 sleeping sickness epidemic in Uganda. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004;10:567-73. (19.) Odiit M, Shaw A, Welburn SC, Fevre EM, Coleman PG, McDermott JJ. Assessing the patterns of health-seeking behaviour and awareness among sleeping-sickness patients in eastern Uganda. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 2004;98:339-48. (20.) Guyatt HL, Ochola SA, Snow RW. Too poor to pay: charging for insecticide-treated bed nets in highland Kenya. Trop Med Int Health. 2002;7:846-50. (21.) Ettling M, McFarland DA, Schultz LS, Chitsulo L. Economic impact of malaria in Malawian households. Trop Med Parasitol. 1994;45:74-9. (22.) Wyss K, Kilima P, Lorenz N. Cost of tuberculosis for households and health care providers in Dares Salaam sa·laam n. 1. A ceremonious act of deference or obeisance, especially a low bow performed while placing the right palm on the forehead. 2. A respectful ceremonial greeting performed especially in Islamic countries. tr. , Tanzania. Trop Med Int Health. 2001;6:60-8. (23.) Shaw AP, Cattand P. Analytical tools for planning cost-effective surveillance in Gambiense sleeping sickness. Med Trop (Mars). 2001;61:412-21. (24.) Goodman CA, Coleman PG, Mills AJ. Cost-effectiveness of malaria control in sub-Saharan Africa. Lancet lancet /lan·cet/ (lan´set) a small, pointed, two-edged surgical knife. lan·cet n. . 1999;354:378-85. (25.) Jamison DT, Mosley WH, Measham AR, Bobadilla JL. Disease control priorities in developing countries. New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : Oxford University Press; 1993. Address for correspondence: Marleen Boelaert, Epidemiology and Disease Control Unit, Institute of Tropical Medicine tropical medicine, study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of certain diseases prevalent in the tropics. The warmth and humidity of the tropics and the often unsanitary conditions under which so many people in those areas live contribute to the development and , Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium; email: mboelaert@itg.be Pascal Lutumba, * ([dagger]) Eric Makieya, ([double dagger double dagger n. A reference mark ( ) used in printing and writing. Also called diesis.Noun 1. ]) Alexandra Shaw, ([section]) Filip Meheus, ([paragraph]) and Marleen Boelaert ([dagger]) * Programme National de Lutte contre la Trypanosomiase Humaine Africaine, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; ([dagger]) lnstitute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium; ([double dagger]) University of Kinshasa The University of Kinshasa was one of three universities, along with University of Kisangani and University of Lubumbashi, created following the division of the National University of Zaire. It is located in Kinshasa. , Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; ([section]) AP Consultants, Andover, United Kingdom; and ([paragraph]) Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands Dr Lutumba is head of the research unit of the national sleeping sickness control program of DRC. He has extensive experience in sleeping sickness control in DRC and participates in clinical research programs on diagnosis and treatment of HAT.
Table 1. Characteristics of 47 households with human African
trypanosomiasis patients, Buma, Democratic Republic of Congo, 2003
Characteristic Value
Household size, no. persons
Minimum 1
Median 5
Maximum 12
Interquartile range 3
Age of head of household, y
Minimum 23
Median 45
Maximum 63
Interquartile range 12
Proportion of households with male head of 87.2%
household
Proportion of farmers among heads of 80.9%
household
Education level of heads of household
None 8.5%
Primary 40.4%
Secondary 46.8%
University 4.3%
Table 2. Estimation of HAT YLLs with intervention, Buma, Democratic
Republic of Congo, 2004 * ([dagger])
Undetected
cases/
deaths (at
Age at No. cases No. deaths 40%
onset, y detected detected underdetection)
0-5 1 0.4
6-10 4 1 1.6
11-15 9 1 3.6
16-20 8 3.2
21-25 4 1 1.6
26-30 9 3.6
31-35 3 1.2
36-40 5 2.0
41-45 2 0.8
46-50 7 2.8
51-55 2 0.8
56-60 1 0.4
61-65 1 1 0.4
66-70 1 0.4
Total 57 4 22.8
YLL age-
Age at Life weighted per
onset, y Total deaths expectancy, y death
0-5 0.4 55.2 34.4
6-10 2.6 55.7 36.0
11-15 4.6 52.6 35.4
16-20 3.2 48.5 33.5
21-25 2.6 44.5 31.0
26-30 3.6 40.8 28.1
31-35 1.2 37.0 25.0
36-40 2.0 33.2 21.9
41-45 0.8 29.5 18.8
46-50 2.8 25.8 15.9
51-55 0.8 22.1 13.1
56-60 0.4 18.5 10.5
61-65 1.4 15.1 8.2
66-70 0.4 12.0 6.1
Total 26.8
YLL age-weighted
Age at YLL ([double
onset, y dagger]) YLL [(section)]
0-5 0 13.7
6-10 36.0 93.6
11-15 35.4 162.8
16-20 0 107.3
21-25 31.0 80.6
26-30 0 101.2
31-35 0 30.0
36-40 0 43.7
41-45 0 15.0
46-50 0 44.4
51-55 0 10.5
56-60 0 4.2
61-65 8.2 11.5
66-70 0 2.5
Total 110.6 720.9
* HAT, human African trypanosomiasis; YLL, years of life lost;
YLD, years lived with disability; DALYs, disability-adjusted life
years.
([dagger]) Discount rate = 0.03; age weighting factor = 0.04; age
weight modulating factor = 1; DALYs with intervention = 16 (YLD) +
721 (YLL) = 737; DALYS without intervention = 40 (YLD) + 2,104
(YLL) = 2,144.
([double dagger]) Excluding undetected cases.
([section]) Including undetected cases.
Table 3. Estimation of HAT YLL without intervention, Buma,
Democratic Republic of Congo, 2004 * ([dagger])
Undetected
cases/death
Age at Detected Detected (at 40%
onset, y cases deaths underdetection)
0-5 1 0 0.4
6-10 4 3 1.6
11-15 9 9 3.6
16-20 8 8 3.2
21-25 4 6 1.6
26-30 9 6 3.6
31-35 3 6 1.2
36-40 5 3 2.0
41-45 2 4 0.8
46-50 7 4 2.8
51-55 2 5 0.8
56-60 1 1 0.4
61-65 1 1 0.4
66-70 1 1 0.4
Total 57 57 22.8
YLL age-
Age at Life weighted per
onset, y Total deaths expectancy, y death
0-5 0.4 55.2 34.4
6-10 4.6 55.7 36.0
11-15 12.6 52.6 35.4
16-20 11.2 48.5 33.5
21-25 7.6 44.5 31.0
26-30 9.6 40.8 28.1
31-35 7.2 37.0 25.0
36-40 5.0 33.2 21.9
41-45 4.8 29.5 18.8
46-50 6.8 25.8 15.9
51-55 5.8 22.1 13.1
56-60 1.4 18.5 10.5
61-65 1.4 15.1 8.2
66-70 1.4 12.0 6.1
Total 79.8
YLL age-weighted
Age at YLL ([double
onset, y dagger]) YLL ([section])
0-5 0 13.7
6-10 108.0 165.6
11-15 318.5 445.9
16-20 268.3 375.6
21-25 186.0 235.6
26-30 168.6 269.7
31-35 150.0 180.1
36-40 65.6 109.4
41-45 75.2 90.2
46-50 63.4 107.8
51-55 65.4 75.8
56-60 10.5 14.7
61-65 8.2 11.5
66-70 6.1 8.6
Total 1,493.8 2,104.2
* HAT, human African trypanosomiasis; YLL, years of life lost.
([dagger]) Discount rate = 0.03; age weighting factor = 0.04;
age weight modulating factor = 1.
([double dagger]) Excluding undetected cases.
([section]) Including undetected cases.
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) used in printing and writing. Also called diesis.
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