The real cost of Hip fractures in Zimbabwe

Hip fractures are a serious health event for older adults, often leading to severe illness, disability, or death. As Zimbabwe’s population ages, these fractures are expected to rise—and with them, the burden on the health system.

To guide resource allocation and policy, a cost-utility analysis of hip fracture management was undertaken in Zimbabwe. The study by Nyasha Mafirakureva and colleagues and published in Bone & Joint Open, provides the first data of its kind in the country.

Key findings include:

• Surgical treatment adds approximately two extra months of perfect health over one year.

• Early surgery (within 15 days) results in even greater health gains.

• Surgery costs about USD 1,676 per patient, roughly equivalent to Zimbabwe’s gross national income (GNI) per capita.

• Without financial protection, these costs could push families into poverty or delay access to care.

Read the publication here: Bone & Joint Open