IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 5068: Benefits and Costs of a Community-Led Total Sanitation Intervention in Rural Ethiopia —A Trial-Based ex post Economic Evaluation

IJERPH, Vol. 17, Pages 5068: Benefits and Costs of a Community-Led Total Sanitation Intervention in Rural Ethiopia—A Trial-Based ex post Economic Evaluation International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph17145068 Authors: Cha Jung Bizuneh Abera Doh Seong Ross We estimated the costs and benefits of a community-led total sanitation (CLTS) intervention using the empirical results from a cluster-randomized controlled trial in rural Ethiopia. We modelled benefits and costs of the intervention over 10 years, as compared to an existing local government program. Health benefits were estimated as the value of averted mortality due to diarrheal disease and the cost of illness arising from averted diarrheal morbidity. We also estimated the value of time savings from avoided open defecation and use of neighbours’ latrines. Intervention delivery costs were estimated top-down based on financial records, while recurrent costs were estimated bottom-up from trial data. We explored methodological and parameter uncertainty using one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Avoided mortality accounted for 58% of total benefits, followed by time savings from increased access to household latrines. The base case benefit–cost ratio was 3.7 (95% CI: 1.9–5.4) and the net present value was Int’l $1,193,786 (95% CI: 406,017–1,977,960). The sources of the largest un...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research