Cost-Effectiveness of Hydroxyurea for Treatment of Children With Sickle Cell Anemia in Ghana

OBJECTIVES: Most African children born with sickle cell disease (SCD) will die before their fifth birthday. Hydroxyurea has proven therapeutic benefits for SCD yet remains inaccessible to many children in low- and middle-income countries. To inform policy on coverage and reimbursement, this study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of hydroxyurea for pediatric SCD in Ghana, compared with the standard of care. METHODS: We developed a Markov model of SCD progression, incorporating costs and effects from a Ghanaian payer perspective, over a 17-year time horizon. Outcomes were life-years gained and disability-adjusted life-years averted. Cost-effectiveness was determined using the World Health Organization willingness-to-pay threshold of 1 times the per-capita gross domestic product and an alternative country-specific threshold based on health opportunity cost ($580.52). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were undertaken. Costs and effects were discounted at 3% per annum. RESULTS: In the base case, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $1440.34 per disability-adjusted life-year averted and $1823.89 per life-year gained. The intervention was potentially cost-effective using the World Health Organization threshold but not cost-effective using the alternative threshold. The 1-way sensitivity analysis highlighted the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio's sensitivity to price changes, emphasizing the importance of price negotiations. CONCLUSIONS: Hydroxyurea can provide substantial health benefits for Ghanaian children with SCD. The results provide a strong argument for the incorporation of hydroxyurea into the Ghana national health insurance benefits package. Future research should address the disparity in threshold outcomes and the need for country-specific data on the long-term effects and broader economic impact of hydroxyurea in Ghana.