Impact of malaria morbidity on gross domestic product in Uganda

The impact of malaria morbidity on GDP of Uganda was estimated using double-log econometric model. The 1997-2003 time series macro-data used in the analysis were for 28 quarters, i.e. 7 years times 4 quarters per year. It was obtained from national and international secondary sources.The slope coefficient for Malaria Index (M) was -0.00767; which indicates that when malaria morbidity increases by one unit, while holding all other explanatory variables constant, per capita GDP decreases by US$0.00767 per year. In 2003 Uganda lost US$ 49,825,003 of GDP due to malaria morbidity. Dividing the total loss of US$49.8 million by a population of 25,827,000 yields a loss in GDP of US$1.93 per person in Uganda in 2003.Malaria morbidity results in a substantive loss in GDP of Uganda. The high burden of malaria leads to decreased long-term economic growth, and works against poverty eradication efforts and socioeconomic development of the country.Malaria is endemic in 95% of Uganda, the remaining 5% of the country, mainly the highland areas, being epidemic prone. It is estimated that 93% of the total population in the country is at risk of malaria [1]. Although all four species of the malaria parasite exist in Uganda, plasmodium falciparum, which causes severe forms of malaria, is responsible for over 95% of cases. This parasite has shown increasing resistance to commonly used antimalarial medicines particularly Chloroquine and Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SP), as monotherapy and more recently in combination. In response to this, the country changed the malaria treatment policy to use of ACTs as first line treatment in 2005, whilst maintaining quinine as the second line treatment. Currently, data on ACT resistance in Uganda is not available.Malaria contributes the major share of the disease burden with 39% of outpatient attendances and 35% of inpatient admissions being due to malaria [2]. In recent years there has been an increasing trend in clinically diagnosed malaria cases repor