Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2013

Abstract

Background: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with tenofovir and emtricitabine effectively prevents new HIV infections. The optimal scenario for implementing PrEP where most infections are averted at the lowest cost is unknown. We determined the impact of different PrEP strategies on averting new infections, prevalence, drug resistance and cost-effectiveness in Macha, a rural setting in Zambia. Methods: A deterministic mathematical model of HIV transmission was constructed using data from the Macha epidemic (antenatal prevalence 7.7%). Antiretroviral therapy is started at CD4/mm 3 . We compared the number of infections averted, cost-effectiveness, and potential emergence of drug resistance of two ends of the prioritization spectrum: prioritizing PrEP to half of the most sexually active individuals (5-15% of the total population), versus randomly putting 40-60% of the total population on PrEP. Results: Prioritizing PrEP to individuals with the highest sexual activity resulted in more infections averted than a non-prioritized strategy over ten years (31% and 23% reduction in new infections respectively), and also a lower HIV prevalence after ten years (5.7%, 6.4% respectively). The strategy was very cost-effective at $323 per quality adjusted life year gained and appeared to be both less costly and more effective than the non-prioritized strategy. The prevalence of drug resistance due to PrEP was as high as 11.6% when all assumed breakthrough infections resulted in resistance, and as low as 1.3% when 10% of breakthrough infections resulted in resistance in both our prioritized and non-prioritized scenarios. Conclusions: Even in settings with low test rates and treatment retention, the use of PrEP can still be a useful strategy in averting infections. Our model has shown that PrEP is a cost-effective strategy for reducing HIV incidence, even when adherence is suboptimal and prioritization is imperfect.

Comments

Nichols, B., et al. (2013). Cost-Effectiveness of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in Preventing HIV-1 Infections in Rural Zambia: A Modeling Study. PLoS ONE 8(3) Article e59549.

© 2013 the authors. Published under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License. Original published version available at https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059549.

Nichols, B. E., Boucher, C. A. B., van Dijk, J. H., Thuma, P. E., Nouwen, J. L., Baltussen, R., van de Wijgert, J., Sloot, P. M. A., & van de Vijver, D. A. M. C. (2013). Cost-effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep) in preventing hiv-1 infections in rural zambia: A modeling study. PLoS ONE, 8(3), e59549. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059549

Download

Included in

Biology Commons

Share

COinS