Limited HIV Resources Best Invested in Community-Based Prevention Education

Based on current research, in order to achieve best value, funds for HIV treatment and prevention should focus first on effective, inexpensive community-based education for men who have sex with men, and then on scaling up antiretroviral therapy. Researchers published their findings in the online Medical Decision Making.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis, the study found, should garner only minimal investment.

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“Our model provides a simple yet accurate means of determining optimal investment in HIV prevention and treatment,” wrote researchers Jessie L. Jussola, PhD, and Margaret L. Brandeau, PhD, Stanford University.

The study aims to guide public health decision makers in how they can best use limited resources for HIV treatment and prevention efforts. In arriving at its findings, the model used by investigators considered outcomes such as incremental cost, quality-adjusted life years gained, and the number of HIV infections averted. The results also suggest that education should be provided for men who engage in sex with other men. This group has greater risk of disease transference.

“The sensitivity analysis indicated that investment in antiretroviral therapy before pre-exposure prophylaxis was optimal in all scenarios tested,” researchers reported. “Investment in antiretroviral therapy before community-based education became optimal when community-based education reduced risky behavior by 4%≤.”—Jolynn Tumolo

Reference

Juusola JL, Brandeau ML. HIV treatment and prevention: a simple model to determine optimal investment. Medical Decision Making. 2015 September 14. [Epub ahead of print].