Solomon Assefa Huluka* and Melkamu Tiruneh
The global economic burden of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is large and hindered global economic development. Thus, this study aimed to assess economic burden and its associated factors among DM patients attending public regional hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia using Institutional Institutional based cross sectional study.
Among the 385 respondents (94.4% response rate) enrolled in the study, 197 (51.12%) of them were females. More than three-quarter (77.1%) of the study participants were diagnosed with type 2 DM. Majority of the participants (291; 75.6%) self-finance their expenses towards the management of DM. Average total monthly cost of DM was found to be 1035.82 Birr per patient per month. Moreover, the mean cost of study participant for laboratory test, single purchasing insulin, insulin syringe and oral anti hyperglycemic agent were found to be 56.34 (± 90.68), 325.26 (± 229.06), 86.90 (± 81.24) and 437.69 (± 278.69) Birr per patient per month, respectively. Regression analysis study indicated that there is a significant (p<0.05) association between cost of DM and education, income, admission, distance from the health facility, emergency visit as well as number of drug prescribed. This study showed that DM imposes a high out of pocket cost expenditure on patients and their families.
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