Households willingness to pay for long-lasting insecticide treated nets in three urban communities of Assosa Zone, western Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Achieving the target coverage of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) has to be preceded by understanding their demands, willingness to pay (WTP) and determinants of WTP for those who could not get free of charge. OBJECTIVE: To assess WTP for long lasting ITN using contingent valuation method and determinants of maximum WTP for long lasting ITN among households in Assosa Zone, Western Ethiopia. METHODS: The contingent valuation method was used to assess WTP for long-lasting ITN among households selected from the three urban communities. univariate and multivariate regression analyses were carried out. The adjusted effect (beta), F-ratios, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% CI were used to interpret results. The criterion for statistical significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Ninety six percent of the respondents reported that long-lasting ITN are important for their family fbr prevention of malaria and demanded for long lasting ITN. Sixty seven percent of the respondents were willing to pay for long-lasting ITN at the starting bid amount of 25 Birr. The mean, maximum WTP amount was 27.84 Birr. The mean WTP amount varied with the respondents' wealth status, which was 19.09 and 35.26 Birr foir poorest and well-off wealth quintiles respectively. Wealth status and knowledge of the respondents about its preventive effects against boring insects were significantly associated with their WTP (adjusted beta = +3.76, 95% CI: 2.3, 4.6 and adjusted beta = 10.15, 95% CI: 2.7, 17.6 respectively). CONCLUSION: The poor have shown their WTP for reduced cost of ITN, thus the regional health bureau should develop a price discrimination mechanism for those economically vulnerable groups.