Cost-Effectiveness of Diagnosing HIV Infection During Early Infancy in South Africa
2016
In this study the clinical impact and cost-effectiveness of four different early infant HIV diagnosis (EID) testing strategies for HIV-exposed infants in South Africa were compared using a microsimulation model. The strategies included (1) no EID (diagnosis only after illness), (2) and (3) testing once (at birth alone or at 6 weeks of age alone), and (4) testing twice (at birth and 6 weeks of age).
Findings showed that the testing at birth alone strategy was weakly dominated. Moreover, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of the 6 weeks alone strategy versus the no EID strategy was $1250/YLS (19% of South Africa’s per capita GDP), and the ICER of the birth and 6 weeks strategy versus the 6 weeks alone strategy was $2900/YLS (45% of GDP).
These findings led the authors to conclude that adding birth testing to the programs is good value for money if the scale-up costs are comparable.
Cost-Effectiveness of Diagnosing HIV Infection During Early Infancy in South Africa
Source:
Francke JA, Penazzato M, Hou T, Abrams EJ, MacLean RJ, Myer L, Walensky RP, Leroy V, Weinstein MC et al. Clinical Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Diagnosing HIV Infection During Early Infancy in South Africa: Test Timing and Frequency. The Journal of Infectious Diseases 2016; 214 (9): 1319-1328. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiw379