A study in BMJ Open on the costs of delivering childhood vaccines in Iraq by researchers from Johns Hopkins University, UNICEF, Baghdad University, the Ministry of Health, Iraq, and Xavier University of Louisiana. The study estimated the economic costs of vaccine delivery per dose delivered and per fully immunized child, and the total costs of vaccine delivery per year from a government perspective. Cost data were collected from 97 health facilities and 44 district and regional vaccine stores, and findings are shown in 2020 US$.
The total cost to deliver an estimated 15.3 million doses in 2018, excluding the cost of vaccines and injection equipment, was US$99.35 million, of which 96% was for recurrent costs.
The average cost of vaccine delivery per dose (excluding vaccine and supply costs) was US$6.48 and varied across the three regions of the country. The cost per dose for all levels in the Retaken Areas totalled US$9.13, followed by the North/Kurdistan Region of Iraq at US$6.47 and Central & South at US$5.84. The number of doses delivered in Retaken Areas was four times less than in the Central & South. Nationally, the vaccine delivery cost of fully vaccinating a child was US$149.
This study provides a baseline understanding of the current programme costs and human resource uses that, coupled with other EPI data, can be used to assess programme performance, identify areas for improvement, and assess cost effectiveness of different system strengthening strategies.
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