Cost and cost-effectiveness of transitioning to universal initiation of lifelong antiretroviral therapy for all HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding women in Swaziland.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the costs and cost-effectiveness of transitioning from antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation based on CD4 cell count and WHO clinical staging ('Option A') to universal ART ('Option B+') for all HIV-infected pregnant and breastfeeding women in Swaziland. METHODS: We measured the total costs of prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) service delivery at public sector facilities with empirical cost data collected at three points in time: once under Option A and again twice after transition to the Option B+ approach. The cost per woman treated per month includes recurrent costs (personnel, overheads, medication and diagnostic tests) and capital costs (buildings, furniture, start-up costs and training). Cost-effectiveness was estimated from the health services perspective as the cost per woman retained in care through 6 months postpartum. This analysis is nested within a larger stepped-wedge evaluation, which demonstrated a 26% increase in maternal retention after the transition to Option B+. RESULTS: Across the five sites, the total cost for PMTCT during the study period (from August 2013 to October 2015, in 2015 US$) was $868,426 for Option B+ and $680 508 for Option A. The cost per woman treated per month was $183 for a woman on ART under Option B+, and $127 and $118 for a woman on ART and zidovudine (AZT), respectively, under Option A. The weighted average cost per woman treated on Option B+ was $826 compared to $525 under Option A. The main cost drivers were the start-up costs, additional training provided and staff time spent on PMTCT tasks for Option B+. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was estimated at $912 for every additional mother retained in care through six months postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: The cost and cost-effectiveness outcomes from this study indicate that there is a robust economic case for pursuing the Option B+ approach in Swaziland and similar settings such as South Africa. Furthermore, these costs can be used to aid decision making and budgeting, for similar settings transitioning to test and treat strategy.

Challenges faced by health workers in implementing the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: To report the experience of health workers who had played key roles in the early stages of implementing the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission services (PMTCT) in Uganda. METHODS: Interviews were conducted with 15 key informants including counsellors, obstetricians and PMTCT coordinators at the five PMTCT test sites in Uganda to investigate the benefits, challenges and sustainability of the PMTCT programme. Audio-taped interviews were held with each informant between January and June 2003. These were transcribed verbatim and manually analysed using the framework approach. RESULTS: The perceived benefits reported by informants were improvement of general obstetric care, provision of antiretroviral prophylaxis for HIV-positive mothers, staff training and community awareness. The main challenges lay in the reluctance of women to be tested for HIV, incomplete follow-up of participants, non-disclosure of HIV status and difficulties with infant feeding for HIV-positive mothers. Key informants thought that the programme's sustainability depended on maintaining staff morale and numbers, on improving services and providing more resources, particularly antiretroviral therapy for the HIV-positive women and their families. CONCLUSION: Uganda's experience in piloting the PMTCT programme reflected the many challenges faced by health workers. Potentially resource-sparing strategies such as the 'opt-out' approach to HIV testing required further evaluation.

The impact of HIV on maternal quality of life in Uganda.

To study the effect of HIV infection on quality of life (QOL) during pregnancy and puerperium, QOL was measured in a cohort study at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, Kampala, Uganda. Dartmouth COOP charts were administered to 132 HIV-positive and 399 HIV-negative women at 36 weeks of pregnancy and six weeks post-partum. Responses were coded from 0 = best health-status to 4 = worst health-status and scores of 3-4 defined as poor. Odds ratios (OR) (95% confidence intervals(CI)) for poor scores were calculated and independent predictors of poor QOL examined using logistic regression. In pregnancy, HIV-positive women were more likely to have poor scores in feelings: OR = 3.2(1.9-5.3), daily activities: OR = 2.8(1.4-5.5), pain: OR = 2.1(1.3-3.5), overall health: OR = 1.7(1.1-2.7) and QOL: OR = 7.2(3.6-14.7), all p= 0.2). HIV infection was independently associated with poor QOL: OR = 8.5(3.8-19). Findings in puerperium were similar to those in pregnancy except more HIV-positive women had poor scores in social activities: OR = 2.5(1.4-4.7) and change in health: OR = 5.4(2-14.5) and infant death also predicted poor QOL: OR = 6.7(2.4-18.5). The findings reflect HIV's adverse impact on maternal QOL and the need for interventions to alleviate this infection's social and emotional effects.