Dear Editors,

We have read the publication on Costs of an Aedes aegypti Vector Control Program in Municipalities in Colombia: A Case Study in Girón and Guadalajara de Buga, 2016 with great interest ¹1. Salinas-López MA, Soto-Rojas VE, Ocampo CB. Costs of an Aedes aegypti vector control program in municipalities in Colombia: a case study in Girón and Guadalajara de Buga, 2016. Cad Saúde Pública 2018; 34:e00044518.. Salinas-López et al. concluded that “the predominant cost strategies were chemical spraying of adult mosquitos, accounting for 26% of the total costs in Girón and 47% in Guadalajara de Buga, with personnel representing 40% of the total costs for this strategy in Girón and 66% of the operating costs in Guadalajara de Buga” (p. 1). We would like to share our ideas about this issue. The cost of insecticide is usually mentioned as a main cost for mosquito control. Nevertheless, there are other indirect costs that might be forgotten. Good examples are the cost of health promotion, salary of health care workers, transport costs for mosquito control, etc. As noted in a report from Cuba, although direct medical costs are the main costs for mosquito control, direct non-medical costs and indirect costs should not be forgotten ²2. Baly A, Toledo ME, Rodriguez K, Benitez JR, Rodriguez M, Boelaert M, et al. Costs of dengue prevention and incremental cost of dengue outbreak control in Guantanamo, Cuba. Trop Med Int Health 2012; 17:123-32.. Baly et al. ²2. Baly A, Toledo ME, Rodriguez K, Benitez JR, Rodriguez M, Boelaert M, et al. Costs of dengue prevention and incremental cost of dengue outbreak control in Guantanamo, Cuba. Trop Med Int Health 2012; 17:123-32. noted that the direct medical cost was 62% whereas the direct non-medical cost was 9% and the indirect cost was 29%.

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