Table 3.
Cost breakdown for obtaining a second fecal sample for helminth infection surveillance among 4,985 schoolchildren at 118 schools in 112 townships
| Expenditure items | Cost in USD* | Cost in RMB yuan | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part I. Fixed costs per student (total number of students 6,720, as planned) | |||
| A. Costs of establishing set-up in schools | |||
| Set-up in school with guidance from CDC and township health workers | 2.07 | 12.6 | 360 yuan payment/school/time × 2 times × 118 schools. Of the 360 yuan, 100 yuan for the health worker from CDC, 100 yuan for the health worker from the township, 100 yuan for the school principle, 60 yuan for the teacher |
| Obtaining consent from students and their guardians | 0.69 | 4.2 | 60 yuan payment/ teacher/school/time × two teachers/school/time × 118 schools × two times |
| Training teachers to collect and store samples | 1.38 | 8.4 | 120 yuan payment/ teacher/school/time × two teachers/school/time × 118 schools × two times |
| B. Laboratory costs at county CDC laboratory | |||
| Laboratory set-up and equipment (i.e., microscopes, temperature-controlled coolers) | 4.99 | 30.4 | 9,300 Yuan rent/laboratory/time × two times × 11 laboratories. Of the 11 laboratories, four of the seven bigger sample counties each has two laboratories, while the reminder three counties each has one laboratory |
| Laboratory cleaning | 0.54 | 3.3 | 1,000 yuan/laboratory/time × two times × 11 laboratories |
| C. Training of field and laboratory workers | |||
| Training of field collectors and laboratory scientists | 0.55 | 3.4 | 11,370 yuan/training/time × 1 training/time × two times. Of the 11,370 yuan, Airfare: 2,600 yuan/round trip Shanghai CDC to Guiyang/training × two trainers; Room and board: 600 yuan/day/trainer × three days/training × two trainers; laboratory rent 2,970/training |
| Fixed costs subtotal per student | 10.23 | 62.4 | |
| Part II. Variable costs (per fecal sample) | |||
| A. Fecal sample collection | |||
| Payment for the labor of field collectors and laboratory scientists | 0.82 | 5.00 | 80 yuan/person/day × 52 persons/time × 6 days/ × two times |
| Transportation costs | 1.48 | 9.00 | 680 yuan/van/day/team/time × 11 teams/time × 6 days/× two times |
| Room and board for collectors and testers | 1.64 | 10.0 | 160 yuan/person/day × 52 persons/time × 6 days/× two times |
| B. Laboratory costs | |||
| Materials used for the testing of a fecal sample (i.e., microscope slides) | 0.66 | 4.0 | |
| Variable Costs Subtotal (per fecal sample) | 4.60 | 28.0 | |
| TOTAL COST of the first fecal sample* | 14.83 | 90.4 | |
| TOTAL COST of the two fecal samples† | 19.43 | 118.4 | |
| MARGINAL COST of the second fecal sample | 4.60 | 28.0 | |
CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; RMB = Renminbi.
At the exchange rate of 1 Dollar = 6.1 RMB Yuan at the time of the survey.
*
Fixed costs + variable costs.
†
Fixed costs + (2 × variable costs).