{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,4]],"date-time":"2026-03-04T19:38:12Z","timestamp":1772653092085,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,4]],"date-time":"2026-03-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772582400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) College of Health Sciences Doctoral Research Scholarship grant"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Uterine fibroids are common benign tumours of uterine smooth muscle. It has been established that uterine fibroids cause a marked global financial burden on healthcare systems and society; however, significant gaps exist in the knowledge of costs related to uterine fibroids. This study aimed to estimate costs associated with the diagnosis, care, and management of uterine fibroids in Eswatini.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The study employed the Cost of Illness (COI) method, a retrospective prevalence cost model. The provider\u2019s perspective was used to estimate all identifiable direct medical costs of UFs. Data was collected from participants\u2019 charge and claims records from the hospitals between 21 August 2021 and 21 August 2022. The study employed a bottom-up approach to estimate all patient costs related to uterine fibroids care and treatment. The costs were calculated at the 2022 price level and converted to United States dollars (USD) using private-payer prices.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The total annual direct medical cost of uterine fibroids in Eswatini was estimated at USD 837894.60. This includes the total estimated costs of outpatient treatment and care, surgical treatment and care, and inpatient treatment and care. The key cost drivers were surgical and inpatient costs, USD 421583.18 and USD 110716.59, respectively.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The total annual cost estimation of uterine fibroids care is significantly high, with the majority of the cost related to theatre and hospitalisation charges. Understanding these financial implications can help guide healthcare policies and resource management.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0342892","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,4]],"date-time":"2026-03-04T18:31:07Z","timestamp":1772649067000},"page":"e0342892","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Cost analysis of hospital-based symptomatic uterine fibroids in the kingdom of Eswatini: A prevalence-based cost-of-illness study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6230-8292","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Vuyisile Jabulile","family":"Ginindza","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4714-7320","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Andre","family":"Bovell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Makandwe","family":"Nyirenda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Themba G.","family":"Ginindza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,4]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0342892.ref001","article-title":"Decreasing the matrix burden: a non-hormonal treatment approach for uterine fibroids","volume":"85","author":"AS Bhat","year":"2023","journal-title":"Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences"},{"key":"pone.0342892.ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2022.1003605","article-title":"Global, regional, and national burden of uterine fibroids in the last 30 years: Estimates from the 1990 to 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study","volume":"9","author":"LC Cheng","year":"2022","journal-title":"Frontiers in Medicine"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0342892.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1186\/s12905-025-03974-y","article-title":"Global, regional and national uterine fibroid burdens from 1990 to 2021 and projections until 2050: results from the GBD study","volume":"25","author":"Z Zhang","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Womens Health"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0342892.ref004","first-page":"55","article-title":"The incidence of uterine fibroid among reproductive age women: A five year review of cases at isth, irrua, edo, Nigeria","volume":"2","author":"O Elugwaraonu","year":"2013","journal-title":"International Journal of Basic, Applied and Innovative Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0342892.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.4314\/jmbs.v7i1.3","article-title":"Total abdominal hysterectomy in a Tertiary Hospital in Kumasi: Indication, Histopathological Findings and Clinicopathological Correlation","volume":"7","author":"NA Titiloye","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Med Biomed Sci"},{"key":"pone.0342892.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.4103\/2156-7514.154351","article-title":"Uterine fibroid embolization for symptomatic fibroids: study at a teaching hospital in kenya","volume":"5","author":"JK Mutai","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Clin Imaging Sci"},{"key":"pone.0342892.ref007","first-page":"4","article-title":"Uterine fibroids in Senegal: polymorphism of MED12 gene and correlation with epidemiological factors","volume":"2","author":"K Bineta","year":"2018","journal-title":"American Journal of Cancer Research and Reviews"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0342892.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.24248\/easci.v4i1.58","article-title":"Prevalence, clinical presentation and factors associated with Uterine fibroids among women attending the Gynecology Outpatient Department at a large Referral Hospital in Southwestern Uganda","volume":"4","author":"M Adawe","year":"2022","journal-title":"EASci"},{"key":"pone.0342892.ref009","article-title":"Uterine fibroids and obstetric outcomes among women living in sub-Saharan Africa: systematic review and meta-analysis","author":"ESAK Ablormeti","year":"2021","journal-title":"University of Ghana"},{"key":"pone.0342892.ref010","first-page":"1","article-title":"Pathophysiology of Uterine Fibroids","author":"M Otify","year":"2020","journal-title":"Modern Management of Uterine Fibroids. 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