Cost-Effectiveness of Antiretroviral Therapy: A Systematic Review

Background: The mobilization of resources to prevent and treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is unparalleled in the history of public health. The uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been rapid and unprecedented and made possible by the availability of funding - external and domestic. To justify continuous funding of ART in resource-scarce settings, a spate of cost-effectiveness studies has been undertaken in a number of countries. This paper is based on a systematic review of global studies on cost-effectiveness analysis of ART. Objectives: The major objective was to review the existing literature on cost-effectiveness of ART to determine whether ART has been cost-effective (CE) in different settings. Methods: We searched PubMed and Google Scholar for articles published between 2008 and 2017. We included studies that measured costs as well as effectiveness of HIV treatment - specifically ART - using incremental cost-effectiveness ratio as one of the outcomes. Results: We identified 15 studies that met the search criteria for inclusion in the systematic review. The review confirms that ART programs have been CE across different settings, contexts, and strategies. Conclusion: The review would be useful for countries that are straining to raise funds for the health sector, generally, and for AIDS prevention and control program, specifically. This would also be beneficial for carrying out similar studies, if necessary, and as an advocacy tool for garnering additional funding.