Out-of-Pocket expenditures associated with Congenital Zika Syndrome in Brazil: an analysis of household health spending

IntroductionThe study aims to estimate out-of-pocket household expenditures associated with the diagnosis and follow-up treatment of Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) in children affected during the 2015-2016 epidemic in Brazil. MethodsNinety-six interviews were held in the cities of Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro in a convenience sample, using a questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics and private household expenditures associated with the syndrome, which also allowed estimating catastrophic expenditures resulting from care for CZS. ResultsMost of the mothers interviewed in the study were brown, under 34 years of age, unemployed, and reported a monthly family income of two minimum wages or less. Spending on medicines accounted for 77.6% of the out-of-pocket medical expenditures, while transportation and food were the main components of nonmedical expenditures, accounting for 79% of this total. The mean annual out-of-pocket expenditures by households was equivalent to almost a quarter of the annual minimum wage. ConclusionsThe affected households were largely low-income and suffered catastrophic expenditures due to the disease. Public policies should consider the financial and healthcare needs of these families to ensure adequate support for individuals affected by CZS.