AEGiS-14IAC: A dynamic cost-benefit analysis of HIV/AIDS interventions for injecting drug users.

14th International AIDS Conference


Barcelona, Spain - July 7-12, 2002

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A dynamic cost-benefit analysis of HIV/AIDS interventions for injecting drug users.

Int Conf AIDS 2002 Jul 7-12; 14:(abstract no. A10020)

Brent RJ
Fordham University, Bronx, New York, United States

BACKGROUND: A dynamic evaluation of a contagious disease recognizes that as diseases spread over time, so will the costs and benefits for interventions for the group affected vary over time. There will thus be a optimal sequence of interventions that need to be planned. For HIV/AIDS injection drug users (IDUs) the two main spreading mechanisms are sharing needles and having sex with others.

METHODS: An optimal control problem is set up of the type "Most Rapid Approach Path". The prevalence rate R is the unit of analysis. The objective is to minimize the present value of all future costs, where the costs consist of (1) the value of lost labor productivity (dependent on numbers affected and the intensity of infections) and (2) expenditures for disease control. The two controls are patient treatments and preventive programs that reduce the spread of the disease.

RESULTS: Results for one control are given for given values for the other control. The optimal manner of combining preventive and curative measures depends on the characteristics of the two transmissions mechanisms and the discount rate chosen.

CONCLUSIONS: A theoretical framework for carrying out a dynamic evaluation has been established in which data can be fed to obtain an empirical evaluation of treatment programs for IDUs that have contracted HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Infections, Needle Sharing, Cost-Benefit Analysis, HIV Seropositivity, Prevalence, Costs and Cost Analysis, Human, economicsKWDaegis,acquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome,hivinfections,needlesharing,cost-benefitanalysis,hivseropositivity,prevalence,costsandcostanalysis,human,economics

020707
A10020

Copyright © 2002 - International AIDS Society (IAS). Reproduction of this abstract (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the IAS.