Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Antiretroviral Therapy Interventions

Cost-effectiveness analysis of antiretroviral therapy (ART) interventions integrates epidemiological modelling and economic evaluation to inform resource allocation in HIV programmes. By quantifying costs per health outcome—such as infections averted, life-years saved or quality-adjusted life years—analysts compare strategies including earlier ART initiation, expanded eligibility thresholds and enhanced linkage to care. Dynamic transmission models project long-term impacts on epidemic trajectories, while sensitivity analyses address uncertainty in parameters like retention and adherence. This framework supports policy decisions by demonstrating that broadening access, streamlining diagnostics and reinforcing adherence can yield substantial population-level health gains at acceptable or even cost-saving ratios. Contextual factors—health-system capacity, diagnostic costs, patient engagement and social determinants—are incorporated to ensure findings remain relevant across high- and low-income settings. Ultimately, such analyses guide the design of HIV treatment as prevention programmes by balancing clinical efficacy, affordability and sustainability.

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Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Antiretroviral Therapy Interventions publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in cost-effectiveness analysis of antiretroviral therapy interventions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Quality-adjusted life year (QALY): A metric combining life expectancy and health-related quality of life, where one QALY equals one year in perfect health.

Disability-adjusted life year (DALY): A measure of overall disease burden expressed as years lost due to ill-health, disability or premature death.

Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER): The additional cost per additional unit of health gain (for example, per QALY gained) when comparing two interventions.

Point-of-care testing: Diagnostic testing performed at the time and place of patient care, enabling rapid clinical decisions and reducing loss to follow-up.

References

1. Defining the optimal cut-point of self-reported ART adherence to achieve viral suppression in the era of contemporary HIV therapy: a cross-sectional study. AIDS Research and Therapy (2021).
2. Cost-Effectiveness of the ‘One4All’ HIV Linkage Intervention in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. PLOS ONE (2016).
3. Economic and epidemiologic impact of guidelines for early ART initiation irrespective of CD4 count in Spain. PLOS ONE (2018).