The Development of Anti-Retroviral Therapy in Africa (DART) trial. Cost effectiveness analysis of routine laboratory or clinically driven strategies for monitoring anti-retroviral therapy in Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Abstract
The analysis concluded that:
- Routine laboratory monitoring for toxicity or efficacy (using CD4 count testing) is a key cost driver for ART programmes
- Costs need to be weighed against benefits in resource allocation
- Routine toxicity monitoring is particularly expensive, was without benefit and should be re-appraised by policy makers
- Routine 12-weekly CD4 monitoring was not cost effective
- Sensitivity analysis suggests the cost of a CD4 count needs to drop below $3.80 to be cost effective at a 12-weekly frequency from the 2nd year on ART
Citation
Presented at the 5th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, Cape Town, South Africa, 19-22 July 2009, 16 pp.
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Published 1 January 2009