A new study led by PATH examined the cost of introducing the typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in 2023 in Malawi through an integrated campaign delivering TCV alongside other vaccines and interventions (measles rubella vaccine, oral polio vaccine, and vitamin A Supplementation). Following the campaign, TCV was incorporated into the routine immunization program for 9-month-old infants. The costing study was conducted at 50 health facilities, 10 districts and at the national level.
The financial and economic costs per dose for all interventions delivered in the campaign were $0.49 and $0.84 respectively. The main activities and cost types varied; human resources represented the main resource at health facility level, and per diem at district and national levels. The financial and economic cost to routinely deliver a dose of TCV were estimated at $0.44, and $2.37, respectively, with human resources as the main resource used by the routine program at all levels.
The cost per dose delivered in the integrated campaign in Malawi was found to be comparable with other integrated campaigns and was lower than the reported cost to deliver TCV in single antigen campaigns in India and Zimbabwe. Integrated campaigns may represent an opportunity to introduce new vaccines such as TCV to lower the cost per dose delivered, though attention should be given to challenges coming with integration, such as the burden for healthcare workers.
Thumbnail image credit: PATH/Madalitso Mvula
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