Costs and cost-effectiveness of HIV early infant diagnosis in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review

Background:Continuing progress in the global pediatric human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)response depends on timely identification and care of infants with HIV.As countries scale-out improvements to HIV early infant diagnosis(EID),economic evaluations are needed to inform program design and implementation.This scoping review aimed to summarize the available evidence and discuss practical implications of cost and cost-effectiveness analyses of HIV EID.Methods:We systematically searched bibliographic databases(Embase,MEDLINE and EconLit)and grey literature for economic analyses of HIV EID in low-and middle-income countries published between January 2008 and June 2021.We extracted data on unit costs,cost savings,and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios as well as outcomes related to health and the HIV EID care process and summarized results in narrative and tabular formats.We converted unit costs to 2021 USD for easier comparison of costs across studies.Results:After title and abstract screening of 1278 records and full-text review of 99 records,we included 29 studies:17 cost analyses and 12 model-based cost-effectiveness analyses.Unit costs were 21.46-51.80 USD for point-of-care EID tests and 16.21-42.73 USD for laboratory-based EID tests.All cost-effectiveness analyses stated at least one of the interventions evaluated to be cost-effective.Most studies reported costs of EID testing strategies;however,few studies assessed the same intervention or reported costs in the same way,making comparison of costs across studies challenging.Limited data availability of context-appropriate costs and outcomes of children with HIV as well as structural heterogeneity of cost-effectiveness modelling studies limits generalizability of economic analyses of HIV EID.Conclusions:The available cost and cost-effectiveness evidence for EID of HIV,while not directly comparable across studies,covers a broad range of interventions and suggests most interventions designed to improve EID are cost-effective or cost-saving.Further studies capturing costs and benefits of EID services as they are delivered in real-world settings are needed.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Polymerase Chain Reaction Status of HIV Exposed Infants in a Sub Regional Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Programme during the Period 2009-2020

Introduction: Transitioning to more efficacious Antiretrovirals for HIV infected pregnant women and infant prophylaxis has reduced Mother to child transmission of HIV significantly. This study aimed to determine HIV infection status in HIVexposed infants who had their first DNA polymerase chain reaction test in our molecular Laboratory. Subjects, Materials and Methods: Dried Blood Spots for HIV DNA results from 5 states between 2009 and 2020 were analyzed in the PCR laboratory of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe. Results: Nine thousand eight hundred and twenty-three Human Immunodeficiency Virus Deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase Chain Reaction results were analysed;4937 (50.2%) were males. During the study period, there was an overall declining trend in the mother-to-child transmission rate from 3.8% in 2009 to 1.0% in 2020. 6120 (62.3%) of HIV + mothers received Highly active antiretroviral therapy HAART before pregnancy. 7845 (76.2%) of the infants received Nevirapine prophylaxis. Dried blood spot samples were collected from 4077 (41.5%) at 6 - 8 weeks. 8438 (85.9%) received cotrimoxazole. 9469 (96.4%) were ever breastfed. Of the 9823 HIV DNA PCR results, 255 (2.6%) were positive while 69/4077 (1.7%) and 109/2662 (4.1%) were positive for HIV DNA at 6 - 8 weeks and > 12 weeks respectively. (p = 0.001). 86/747 (11.5%) of infants whose HIV-positive mothers received no ARVS were HIV DNA positive. (p = 0.001). 106/884 (12.0%) of infants who had no Antiretroviral prophylaxis had positive HIV DNA results;7/413 (1.7%) with Zidovudine/Nevirapine prophylaxis had positive results. (p = 0.001). 246/9469 (2.6%) of infants that were ever breastfed were positive for HIV DNA;11/354 (3.0%) that never breastfed had positive HIV DNA. Conclusion: Lack of maternal/infant ARVs and prolonged breastfeeding increased the risk of infant HIV infection.