Community's willingness to pay for a school-based chemotherapy programme to control morbidity due to schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in children in rural Tanzania

Abstract

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on a random sample of 523 households having at least one child attending primary school in 3 villages in Buchosa Division, Sengerema District, Tanzania. The aim was to determine the community's willingness to pay (WTP) for a school-based chemotherapy programme to control morbidity due to schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) in schoolchildren and identify socio-economic and cultural factors influencing community's WTP. Results showed that households WTP for a school-based chemotherapy programme varied from Tanzanian Shillings (TShs.) 0–20,000 (US$ 0–25) per child per year. The community's WTP (median of households WTP) was TSh. 1,000 (US$ 1.25). The community was also willing to pay extra TSh.100 (US$ 0.125) per year to cover for the cost of schoolchildren whose parents were unable to pay or who could pay less than the community's WTP. Age of household head and number of schoolchildren in a household had a negative effect on the household's willingness to pay. Households with children in expensive schools had high willingness to pay for the intervention package to control worms in their children. This was also observed in households keeping animals (cattle, goats, sheep, chiken, ducks) and those who cultivated a number of cash crops.

Keywords: schistosomiasis, control, willingness to pay, Tanzania

Tanzania Health Research Bulletin Vol. 7(3) 2005: 149-153