Abstract
Background Malaria to date remains one of the top five killer diseases in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the malaria burden is skewed towards pregnant women and children under five. Insecticide Treated Bed-Net (ITN) usage and intermittent preventive treatment has been credited to be among the most cost-effective, preventive interventions against malaria. MethodsThe study used Ghana’s Malaria Indicator Surveys (GMIS) of 2016 and 2019. Socioeconomic status was assessed using the wealth index reported in both surveys. Household mosquito net ownership, mosquito net use among under 5’s and women, IPTp coverage, health insurance and awareness of malaria covered by national health insurance were binary variable, therefore the study adopted the Wagstaff normalized index. Concentration curves were computed to present a graphical picture of the concentration indices.ResultsTreated household net ownership and use among under-5s’ and pregnant women for both time periods was highest in among poor literate rural women, as well as the Intermittent Preventive Treatment in pregnancy coverage. However, even though poor households were more likely to have health insurance, wealth household were more likely to be aware that malaria treatment is finance by the National Health Insurance Scheme in Ghana.Conclusion In conclusion for the period under-review the concentration indices for; household net ownership, usage of treated nets among under-5s and pregnant women increased reflecting widening socioeconomic inequalities in net ownership and usage in Ghana. While, health insurance ownership and awareness of malaria finance under NHIS showed socioeconomic gaps to be contracting.
Choosing your health insurance package: A method for measuring the public's preferences for changes in the national health insurance plan
