Perspectives: Paraffin, a Burning Issue for Economically Vulnerable People

The price of life in South Africa is cheap. The official price of illuminating paraffin was R16.90 (US$1) for March 2022 at the petrol pumps. The purchase price to consumers varies depending on availability, markups and convenience and can cost up to R25 (US$1.51) per litre. It has been reported that each year the direct cost of R490 million (US$29 661 016.90) is spent on caring for patients with paraffin burns. Sadly, this is not the full picture. When considering the price paid for a commodity one must deliberate what is the real cost for the use of the commodity. Henry David Thoreau’s quotation: “The cost of a thing is the amount of life, which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run” encapsulates the price-versus-cost argument on the use of illuminating paraffin. Both direct and indirect costs must be considered to obtain the accurate cost of paraffin in the context of treating burns. The estimated total direct cost of treating a single patient with a 20% body surface area with deep dermal thickness burn was estimated between R103 000 (US$6 234.87) and R154 000 (US$9 322.03) per year in 2011. The indirect or hidden cost is the amount not considered or calculated, yet someone is paying for it albeit the patient, their family and friends or society. The cost of treating burns undeniably is far more than the mere price of the product, far more than the direct cost of R154 000 (US$9 322.03); it can literally cost the patient’s life and the family’s livelihood. Paraffin is cheap, life is not. The objective of this article is to accentuate the exorbitant cost associated with treating paraffin burns to create awareness among policymakers and decision makers about a silent consequence of the use of a cheap commodity.