AEGiS-15IAC: Ex-Ante economic evaluation of HIV/AIDS national strategic plans.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

Ex-Ante economic evaluation of HIV/AIDS national strategic plans.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. E10119)

Nsarhaza KB
UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland

BACKGROUND: Major policy document, the National Strategic Plan (NSP) is supposed to integrate the economic and social effects of response coordination and provide a framework to evaluate them. So, it is subject to economic evaluation like any other project.

METHOD: Based on a review of NSPs, the paper aims at assessing information from NSP and looking at NSPs from the perspective of main stakeholders. It uses an approach combining institutional analysis and project economics.

RESULTS: The rationale of NSP is the inability of a non-coordinated response to reverse the epidemic;43 % of Eastern European countries have NSPs while 71% of African countries and 77% of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have completed;NSP timeframe: from 1 to 6 years, average of 4 years;80 % of NSPs analysed have defined from 2 to more than 10 priorities;59 % of NSPs in Africa, 56 % in LAC, 29 % in Europe and 43 % in Asia are costed;The cost varies from 1.57 to 985 millions $;Some countries consider system, investment or transaction costs and transfer payments while other consider only operating costs;Non quantifiable direct results of NSPs on welfare: social cohesion, civil society organisation, existence of health services, social safety net;Constraints to implementation: political situation, results of financial negotiations and resources mobilisation, inflation rate or economic external shocks;Need for a strong M&E system recognised as a management tool to identify strengths and weaknesses;17 coordinating bodies (Councils, Commission, Committees, and Ministries) in Africa, 5 in Asia, 5 in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and 4 in the Caribbean chaired by Heads of State, Prime Ministers or Ministers.

CONCLUSION: NSPs are not considered as investment projects, but as consumption projects. Yet, institutional analysis highlights government effort to organise the response to HIV/AIDS in a coordinated and participatory movement.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Evaluation Studies, Health Planning, Federal Government, Latin America, Organizations, Disease Outbreaks, Government, Health Services Needs and Demand, Africa, Asia, Research, Public Policy, Europe, Caribbean Region, Asia, Central, Europe, Eastern, United States, economics, organization & administration

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E10119