Consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services, 2019: web annex G. Modelling the cost-effectiveness of using HIV/syphilis dual tests in antenatal care in high and low HIV burden settings (abstract)
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World Health Organization
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2 p.
This Web Annex accompanies the Consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services, 2019 and presents an abstract describing a modelling study evaluating the cost–effectiveness of using dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests in antenatal care across settings with different HIV burdens. Using Markov decision-analytic models, the study estimates the health and economic impact of replacing separate HIV and syphilis tests with a single dual rapid test at the first antenatal care visit in Kenya, South Africa, Colombia and Ukraine. Outcomes include maternal and infant health effects, programme costs, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and incremental cost–effectiveness ratios to inform policy decisions on antenatal testing strategies. The publication summarizes findings indicating that routine use of dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests at the first antenatal care visit is cost-saving compared with individual HIV and syphilis tests across all modelled settings while reducing the burden of congenital syphilis and supporting prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The annex also presents the related WHO implementation guidance recommending early antenatal testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B surface antigen, and indicating that dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests may be considered as the initial test in HIV testing strategies and algorithms in antenatal care settings. Intended as a technical companion to the main guideline, it provides modelling evidence supporting WHO recommendations and promotes transparency in the guideline development process.
This Web Annex accompanies the Consolidated guidelines on HIV testing services, 2019 and presents an abstract describing a modelling study evaluating the cost–effectiveness of using dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests in antenatal care across settings with different HIV burdens. Using Markov decision-analytic models, the study estimates the health and economic impact of replacing separate HIV and syphilis tests with a single dual rapid test at the first antenatal care visit in Kenya, South Africa, Colombia and Ukraine. Outcomes include maternal and infant health effects, programme costs, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and incremental cost–effectiveness ratios to inform policy decisions on antenatal testing strategies. The publication summarizes findings indicating that routine use of dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests at the first antenatal care visit is cost-saving compared with individual HIV and syphilis tests across all modelled settings while reducing the burden of congenital syphilis and supporting prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The annex also presents the related WHO implementation guidance recommending early antenatal testing for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B surface antigen, and indicating that dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests may be considered as the initial test in HIV testing strategies and algorithms in antenatal care settings. Intended as a technical companion to the main guideline, it provides modelling evidence supporting WHO recommendations and promotes transparency in the guideline development process.