Affordability of anti-hypertensive and anti-hypertensive co-morbid with diabetes in Jos and environs, Central Nigeria

Background: Although research has been undertaken on medicine prices, there has so far been insufficient progress in improving medicine affordability and availability for individual patients in many countries. Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as acute myocardial infarction (AMI), stroke, heart failure and death. WHO has estimated that hypertension alone accounts for 4.4% of all disability adjusted life years that are ranged from NGN1200 to NGN4250. The aim of this study is to do a pharmacoeconomic evaluation of hypertension and hypertension comorbid with diabetes medications in selected health facilities in Jos and environs, Central Nigeria. Patients’ income per month was assessed ranging from <20,000.00 to ≥ NGN181, 000.00. The medications presented to the patients first were rotated for different patients to eliminate bias. There was a relatively higher cost of treatment in Nasarawa compared to Plateau state. The cost of treatment was highest in private facilities, higher in Faith-based institutions than the public facilities. It cost an unskilled labourer between 27 to 45 days wages to treat hypertension (catastrophic). The monthly cost of medication ranges from NGN1000 to NGN3725 cost. Results show that the monthly cost of treating hypertension ranged from NGN1000 to NGN3000 and NGN1200 to NGN4250 for comorbid cases. Prices of essential medicines used in the management of hypertension and hypertension comorbid with diabetes is quite high compared with the international reference prices. The treatment in both cases were mostly unaffordable for the threshold of an unskilled labourer and majority of the patients. Policy options towards ameliorating these catastrophic effects as the main focus of government and relevant stakeholders is hereby recommended.