Cost-Effectiveness In Hiv Care

Are Lives In Wealthier Countries Worth More?

This is an additional one mean to address the issue of cost-effectiveness in Hiv care. The Who (World condition Organization) has advanced criteria that states that a cost-per-year-of-life-saved that is equal to or less than the Gnp (gross national product) of a country is very cost-effective. The Who also states that any cost-per-year-of-life-saved that is three times the Gnp, or less, is thought about cost-effective.

Hiv

This calculation for the cost-effectiveness in Hiv care has caused a few experts to criticize the Who because they are in essence saying that a man that lives in a wealthy country is more primary than a man that lives in a poor country. Doctors think that there should be a few considerations when establishing a policy, not just economic efficiencies. The Who's algorithm also does not take into observation donor or country financing. Some countries in Africa afford themselves anti-Hiv drugs coverage, but others rely generally on financial help from Usa, the mondial fund or diverse donators.

Although many population feel the Who algorithm is incomplete, there have been no other proposed methods.

Researchers at Harvard have done some studies of their own. The most recent economic study in Hiv care was about how cost-effective pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEp) would be to heterosexual women in South Africa. This study estimated that it would cost about annually for PrEp drugs in South Africa, which is not only very cost-effective, but is assuredly cost saving. This study accounts for the price of the medicine and the risk and prevalence in the population being targeted.

Besides these studies in Hiv care, researchers also analyzed Who guidelines and Art, or antiretroviral therapy. One of the perspectives that were looked at was early Art initiation, which used to be to start treating when a patient's Cd4 count was below 200. The new guidelines now propose that medicine starts when the patient's Cd4 count goes below 350. This updated guideline has resulted in a cost-effectiveness ratio of 0 per year of life saved. Earlier Art seems to increase earlier survival, but the availability of added treatments assuredly increases late survival with a cost-effectiveness ratio of ,370 per year of life saved. It is also prominent to point out that the study showed that switching medications from stavudine to tenofovir equals a ,140 per year of life saved. A ratio of ,200 per year of life saved, which is cost-saving or sufficient depending on a few factors, was found during a study of Art for the arresting of mother-to-child transmission.

Although cost-effectiveness studies are invading more and more the curative fields, we must not forget that we not only treat populations but individual beings!

Cost-Effectiveness In Hiv Care

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