P177 Investigating the cost-effectiveness of integrated prenatal HIV/syphilis screening to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes in China. (23rd May 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Owusu-Edusei, K; Tao, G; Gift, T L; Tun, Y; Kamb, M L; Wei, X; Wang, L M; Bulterys, M
• Is Part Of: Sexually transmitted infections. Volume 88(2012)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A68
• Page End: A68
• Publication Date: 2012-05-23
• Subjects: Sexually transmitted diseases -- Periodicals; HIV infections -- Periodicals; 616.951005
• DOI: 10.1136/sextrans-2012-050601c.177
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-4973

Abstract

Abstract : Background: The need to scale-up integrated prenatal HIV/syphilis screening in China has increased in the last decade owing to recent increases in syphilis and HIV cases. Objectives: In this study, we assess the health and economic outcomes of integrated HIV/syphilis screening to prevent adverse pregnancy outcomes in China. Methods: A Markov cohort decision analysis model was used to examine the health and economic outcomes of pregnancy using data from published literature and local data. Adverse pregnancy outcomes examined included miscarriage, induced abortion, congenital syphilis, stillbirth, low birth weight, mother-to-child HIV transmission and neonatal death. We examined four screening strategies; No-Screening, HIV-Only, Syphilis-Only and HIV-and-Syphilis. We estimated Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for all health outcomes. The life expectancy of the child and mother were the analytic horizon. Results: Preliminary results indicated that for a cohort of 10 000 pregnant women (0.07% prevalence for HIV and 1.5% for syphilis; 20% of HIV+ had syphilis), the HIV-Only strategy prevented 1 case of mother-to-child HIV transmission and resulted in 2 induced abortions; the Syphilis-Only strategy prevented 3 stillbirths, 2 miscarriages, 15 cases of congenital syphilis, 6 cases of low birth weight and 1 neonatal death, but resulted in 35 induced abortions. The HIV-and-Syphilis strategy prevented the sum of the outcomes prevented by the HIV-Only and Syphilis-Only strategies. Estimated costs per DALYs prevented were: Syphilis-Only, $38; HIV-and-Syphilis, $122; HIV-Only, $5806. Conclusions: Integrated prenatal HIV/syphilis screening is more cost-effective than HIV-Only screening. This is largely due to the relatively higher prevalence of syphilis and the substantially lower cost of treatment.