Study of the Cost and Efficiency of HIV Prevention in Developing Countries

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Investigator: James Kahn, MD, MPH
Sponsor: PHS Secretary for Health

Location(s): Kenya; Uganda; Tanzania; South Africa; Belarus

Description

No matter what new resources are brought to bear to fight the global AIDS epidemic, little gain will be realized if they are used inefficiently. It is imperative that funds be spent for interventions that prevent the most infections per dollar spent.
 
When is an intervention cost-effective? 
The “cost-effectiveness ratio” is the ratio of program costs to health-related outcomes such as lives saved, life-years saved, or cases of HIV prevented. One measure of health benefits is the Disability-Adjusted Life Year or “DALY.” DALYs are weighted to reflect quality of life and economic productivity. 
 
What do we know about the cost-effectiveness of HIV prevention? 
While data have not been gathered on all potential interventions, the follow HIV prevention approaches have been found to be cost-effective in resource-poor countries: