Financial costs of assisted reproductive technology for patients in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Study Question: What are the direct costs of assisted reproductive technology (ART), and how affordable is it for patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICS)?

Summary Answer: Direct medical costs paid by patients for infertility treatment are significantly higher than annual average income and GDP per capita, pointing to unaffordability and the risk of catastrophic expenditure for those in need.

What Is Known Already: Infertility treatment is largely inaccessible to many people in LMICs. Our analysis shows that no study in LMICs has previously compared ART medical costs across countries in international dollar terms (US$PPP) or correlated the medical costs with economic indicators, financing mechanisms, and policy regulations.

Assessing the inequality in out-of-pocket health expenditure among the chronically and non-chronically ill in Saudi Arabia: a Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis.

Background: Many high-income countries have made significant progress towards achieving universal health coverage. Nevertheless, out-of-pocket (OOP) health expenditure continues to undermine the effectiveness of the universal healthcare system. In Saudi Arabia, due to the overburdened free public health services, many people opt for alternative healthcare services, risking high OOP payments.

Impact of household shocks on access to healthcare services in Kenya: a propensity score matching analysis.

Objective: This study examines the effects of household shocks on access to healthcare services in Kenya. Shocks are adverse events that lead to loss of household income and/or assets.

Design And Setting: The study used data from the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey 2015/2016, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey.

Decomposition of changes in socioeconomic inequalities in catastrophic health expenditure in Kenya.

Background: Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) is frequently used as an indicator of financial protection. CHE exists when health expenditure exceeds a certain threshold of household consumption. Although CHE is reported to have declined in Kenya, it is still unacceptably high and disproportionately affects the poor.

Economic costs of infertility care for patients in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol.

Introduction: Infertility, a condition of the reproductive system, affects millions of individuals and couples worldwide. Despite infertility treatment's existence, it is largely unavailable and inaccessible in low/middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the prohibitive costs compounded by an absence of financing. Previous systematic reviews have shown that there is scanty information in LMICs on out-of-pocket (OOP) payments for infertility treatment.

Cost-related unmet need for healthcare services in Kenya.

Background: The assessment of unmet need is one way to gauge inequities in access to healthcare services. While there are multiple reasons for unmet need, financial barriers are a major reason particularly in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare systems do not offer financial protection. Moreover, accessibility and affordability are paramount in achieving universal health coverage.

Understanding variations in catastrophic health expenditure, its underlying determinants and impoverishment in Sub-Saharan African countries: a scoping review.

Background: To assess the financial burden due to out of pocket (OOP) payments, two mutually exclusive approaches have been used: catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries primarily rely on OOP and are thus challenged with providing financial protection to the populations. To understand the variations in CHE and impoverishment in SSA, and the underlying determinants of CHE, a scoping review of the existing evidence was conducted.

Trends and determinants of Comprehensive HIV and AIDS knowledge among urban young women in Kenya.

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most heavily affected by HIV. In 2008, the region accounted for 67% of HIV infections worldwide, the region also accounted for 72% of the world's AIDS-related deaths in 2008. Young people aged 15-24 years accounted for an estimated 45% of the new HIV infections.