Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia
BackgroundThe war that started on November 4, 2020, in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia severely affected the health sector. However, there is no available evidence to suggest the economic damage caused to the public health system because of war-related looting or vandalism. This study was aim...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1271028/full |
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| author | Zenawi Hagos Gufue Hiluf Kalayou Haftu Yibrah Alemayehu Etsay Weldekidan Tsegay Meresa Berwo Mengesha Berhe Dessalegn |
| author_facet | Zenawi Hagos Gufue Hiluf Kalayou Haftu Yibrah Alemayehu Etsay Weldekidan Tsegay Meresa Berwo Mengesha Berhe Dessalegn |
| author_sort | Zenawi Hagos Gufue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe war that started on November 4, 2020, in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia severely affected the health sector. However, there is no available evidence to suggest the economic damage caused to the public health system because of war-related looting or vandalism. This study was aimed at estimating the cost of war-related looting or vandalism in Tigray’s public health system in Northern Ethiopia in 2021.MethodsA provider perspective, a mixed costing method, a retrospective cross-sectional approach, a 50% inflation rate, and a 50 Ethiopian birr equivalent to one United States dollar ($) for the money value were used. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, taking into consideration the Sendai framework indicators.ResultsThe total economic cost of the war-related looting or vandalism in monetary terms was more than $3.78 billion, and the damage to the economic value in monetary terms was more than $2.31 billion. Meanwhile, the direct economic loss to the health system in monetary terms was more than $511 million. According to this assessment, 514 (80.6%) health posts, 153 (73.6%) health centers, 16 (80%) primary hospitals, 10 (83.3%) general hospitals, and 2 (100%) specialized hospitals were damaged and/or vandalized either fully or partially due to the war.ConclusionThis war seriously affected the public health sector in the Tigray region. The Federal Government of Ethiopia, the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, the Tigrayan Government, the Tigray Regional Health Bureau, and the international community must make efforts to find resources for the revitalization of the damaged, plundered, and vandalized healthcare system. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:12:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a762821eb83b404b9ba7453524b4b1f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:12:01Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-a762821eb83b404b9ba7453524b4b1f62024-04-05T04:32:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652024-04-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.12710281271028Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern EthiopiaZenawi Hagos Gufue0Hiluf Kalayou Haftu1Yibrah Alemayehu2Etsay Weldekidan Tsegay3Meresa Berwo Mengesha4Berhe Dessalegn5Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, EthiopiaTigray Regional Health Bureau, Mekelle, EthiopiaTigray Regional Health Bureau, Mekelle, EthiopiaDepartment of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, EthiopiaDepartment of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, EthiopiaDepartment of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Adigrat University, Adigrat, EthiopiaBackgroundThe war that started on November 4, 2020, in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia severely affected the health sector. However, there is no available evidence to suggest the economic damage caused to the public health system because of war-related looting or vandalism. This study was aimed at estimating the cost of war-related looting or vandalism in Tigray’s public health system in Northern Ethiopia in 2021.MethodsA provider perspective, a mixed costing method, a retrospective cross-sectional approach, a 50% inflation rate, and a 50 Ethiopian birr equivalent to one United States dollar ($) for the money value were used. The data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, taking into consideration the Sendai framework indicators.ResultsThe total economic cost of the war-related looting or vandalism in monetary terms was more than $3.78 billion, and the damage to the economic value in monetary terms was more than $2.31 billion. Meanwhile, the direct economic loss to the health system in monetary terms was more than $511 million. According to this assessment, 514 (80.6%) health posts, 153 (73.6%) health centers, 16 (80%) primary hospitals, 10 (83.3%) general hospitals, and 2 (100%) specialized hospitals were damaged and/or vandalized either fully or partially due to the war.ConclusionThis war seriously affected the public health sector in the Tigray region. The Federal Government of Ethiopia, the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, the Tigrayan Government, the Tigray Regional Health Bureau, and the international community must make efforts to find resources for the revitalization of the damaged, plundered, and vandalized healthcare system.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1271028/fullhealthcarecostswarloss assessmentrevitalizationTigray |
| spellingShingle | Zenawi Hagos Gufue Hiluf Kalayou Haftu Yibrah Alemayehu Etsay Weldekidan Tsegay Meresa Berwo Mengesha Berhe Dessalegn Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia Frontiers in Public Health healthcare costs war loss assessment revitalization Tigray |
| title | Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia |
| title_full | Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia |
| title_short | Damage to the public health system caused by war-related looting or vandalism in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia |
| title_sort | damage to the public health system caused by war related looting or vandalism in the tigray region of northern ethiopia |
| topic | healthcare costs war loss assessment revitalization Tigray |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1271028/full |
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