Cost Analysis and Policy Implication of Physiotherapy Management of Cerebral Palsy in Nigeria

Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder of posture and movement, resulting from a permanent, non-progressive lesion to the immature or developing  brain. There is uncertainty on the average cost of physiotherapy management of CP, beside the relationship between the costs of physiotherapy  management of CP and health-related quality of life is also not well known. This study was conducted to determine the average cost of  physiotherapy management of CP. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was carried out among 120 CP patients at the selected tertiary health  facilities in Kwara and Oyo States, Nigeria.  The age of the participants ranged from 2 to 8 years with a mean age of 4.10±1.70. The out-patient  physiotherapy treatment charge per session at each of the health facilities was between ₦300.00 to ₦800.00. The costs of various associative devices  were not less than ₦l0,000:00 other indirect costs were between ₦24,000:00 and ₦48,000:00 with man-hour loss of ₦30,201 to ₦60,400:00. The mean  annual physiotherapy management cost of children with CP was ₦55,693±₦24,415. Significant difference between cost and health related quality of  life among CP was established. It was concluded that the cost of physiotherapy management of CP was beyond what the care givers could afford,  and therefore policy for funding support and subsidised physiotherapy treatment charges for participants was recommended.