Cost- Income Analysis of Oral Health Units of Health Care Centers in Fars Province and Evaluation of Oral Health Indices in 2001-2003

Statement of problem: Increasing demands for health care services on one hand, and limited resources on the other hand brings about pressure over governments to find out a mechanism for fair and appropriate distribution of resources. Economic analysis is one of the appropriate tools for policy making on this priority. The objective of this study was to assess capital and consumption expenditure of Oral Health Units of Health Care Centers in Fars province and its effectiveness on oral health indices. The data were collected by statistical forms in urban and rural Health Care Centers which were sent to Provincial Health Care Centers every 3 months from 2001 to 2003. Oral Health Unit service expenses had been 6,871,471,160 Rials in 2001, 6,243,026,540 Rials in 2002 and 7,009,570,880 Rials in 2003 respectively. Income/cost ratio was 20% in 2001 and it was 25% and 26% in 2002 and 2003 respectively. In spite of this high expenses, the oral health statues of 6-12 year old children did not improve during the survey period. Regarding the low tariff of dentistry services and also subsidiary payment to target groups, the Oral Health Unit expenses are always more than its income. These costs had no effect on oral health indices (dmft, DMFT) in Fars province.