Out-of-pocket Expenditure in Childhood Cancer during the COVID-19
pandemic in an LMIC
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented economic and health
vulnerability and inequities globally. This study aims to determine the
out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure of families of children with cancer in
Peru before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a
cross-sectional survey of 235 parents and caregivers of children
diagnosed with cancer in Peru. Our study suggests that OOP expenses in
these families constitute a catastrophic expense for health. This
situation was aggravated due to a decrease in the economic income for
most families due to the disruption in formal and informal employment.