scholarly journals Cost-effectiveness of public health strategies for COVID-19 epidemic control in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna P. Reddy ◽  
Fatma M. Shebl ◽  
Julia H. A. Foote ◽  
Guy Harling ◽  
Justine A. Scott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Epidemic Control ◽  
Symptom Screening

ABSTRACTBackgroundHealthcare resource constraints in low and middle-income countries necessitate selection of cost-effective public health interventions to address COVID-19.MethodsWe developed a dynamic COVID-19 microsimulation model to evaluate clinical and economic outcomes and cost-effectiveness of epidemic control strategies in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Interventions assessed were Healthcare Testing (HT), where diagnostic testing is performed only for those presenting to healthcare centres; Contact Tracing (CT) in households of cases; Isolation Centres (IC), for cases not requiring hospitalisation; community health worker-led Mass Symptom Screening and diagnostic testing for symptomatic individuals (MS); and Quarantine Centres (QC), for contacts who test negative. Given uncertainties about epidemic dynamics in South Africa, we evaluated two main epidemic scenarios over 360 days, with effective reproduction numbers (Re) of 1·5 and 1·2. We compared HT, HT+CT, HT+CT+IC, HT+CT+IC+MS, HT+CT+IC+QC, and HT+CT+IC+MS+QC, considering strategies with incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) <US$1,290/year-of-life saved (YLS) to be cost-effective.FindingsWith Re 1·5, HT resulted in the most COVID-19 deaths and lowest costs over 360 days. Compared with HT, HT+CT+IC+MS reduced mortality by 76%, increased costs by 16%, and was cost-effective (ICER $350/YLS). HT+CT+IC+MS+QC provided the greatest reduction in mortality, but increased costs by 95% compared with HT+CT+IC+MS and was not cost-effective (ICER $8,000/YLS). With Re 1·2, HT+CT+IC+MS was the least costly strategy, and HT+CT+IC+MS+QC was not cost-effective (ICER $294,320/YLS).InterpretationIn South Africa, a strategy of household contact tracing, isolation, and mass symptom screening would substantially reduce COVID-19 mortality and be cost-effective. Adding quarantine centres for COVID-19 contacts is not cost-effective.FundingRoyal Society, Wellcome Trust, National Institutes of Health

scholarly journals The economic impact and cost-effectiveness of combined vector-control and dengue vaccination strategies in Thailand: results from a dynamic transmission model

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. e0008805
Author(s):  
Gerhart Knerer ◽  
Christine S. M. Currie ◽  
Sally C. Brailsford
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Vector Control ◽  
Dengue Fever ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Scenario Analyses ◽  
Life Years ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Background and aims Dengue fever is a major public health problem in tropical/subtropical regions. Prior economic analyses have predominantly evaluated either vaccination or vector-control programmes in isolation and do not really consider the incremental benefits and cost-effectiveness of mixed strategies and combination control. We estimated the cost-effectiveness of single and combined approaches in Thailand. Methods The impacts of different control interventions were analysed using a previously published mathematical model of dengue epidemiology and control incorporating seasonality, age structure, consecutive infection, cross protection, immune enhancement and combined vector-host transmission. An economic model was applied to simulation results to estimate the cost-effectiveness of 4 interventions and their various combinations (6 strategies): i) routine vaccination of 1-year olds; ii) chemical vector control strategies targeting adult and larval stages separately; iii) environmental management/ public health education and awareness [EM/ PHEA]). Payer and societal perspectives were considered. The health burden of dengue fever was assessed using disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost. Costs and effects were assessed for 10 years. Costs were discounted at 3% annually and updated to 2013 United States Dollars. Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out after strategies were rank-ordered by cost, with results presented in a table of incremental analysis. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were undertaken; and the impact and cost-effectiveness of Wolbachia was evaluated in exploratory scenario analyses. Results From the payer and societal perspectives, 2 combination strategies were considered optimal, as all other control strategies were dominated. Vaccination plus adulticide plus EM/ PHEA was deemed cost-effective according to multiple cost-effectiveness criteria. From the societal perspective, incremental differences vs. adulticide and EM/ PHEA resulted in costs of $157.6 million and DALYs lost of 12,599, giving an expected ICER of $12,508 per DALY averted. Exploratory scenario analyses showed Wolbachia to be highly cost-effective ($343 per DALY averted) vs. other single control measures. Conclusions Our model shows that individual interventions can be cost-effective, but that important epidemiological reductions and economic impacts are demonstrated when interventions are combined as part of an integrated approach to combating dengue fever. Exploratory scenario analyses demonstrated the potential epidemiological and cost-effective impact of Wolbachia when deployed at scale on a nationwide basis. Our findings were robust in the face of sensitivity analyses.

scholarly journals High-frequency screening combined with diagnostic testing for control of SARS-CoV-2 in high-density settings: an economic evaluation of resources allocation for public health benefit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Will Rogers ◽  
Manuel Ruiz-Aravena ◽  
Dale Hansen ◽  
Wyatt Madden ◽  
Maureen Kessler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Lamp Assay ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
High Density ◽  
Screening Tests ◽  
Rapid Screening ◽  
Contact Tracing

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 spreads quickly in dense populations, with serious implications for universities, workplaces, and other settings where exposure reduction practices are difficult to implement. Rapid screening has been proposed as a tool to slow the spread of the virus; however, many commonly used diagnostic tests (e.g., RT-qPCR) are expensive, difficult to deploy (e.g., require a nasopharyngeal specimen), and have extended turn-around times. We evaluated testing regimes that combined diagnostic testing using qPCR with high-frequency screening using a novel reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP, herein LAMP) assay. We used a compartmental susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model to simulate screening of a university population. We also developed a Shiny application to allow administrators and public health professionals to develop optimal testing strategies given site-specific assumptions about testing investment, target population, and cost. The frequency of screening, especially when pooling samples, was more important for minimizing epidemic size than test sensitivity, behavioral compliance, contact tracing capacity, and time between testing and results. Our results suggest that when testing budgets are limited, it is safer and more cost-effective to allocate the majority of funds to screening. Rapid, cost-effective, and scalable screening tests, like LAMP, should be viewed as critical components of SARS-CoV-2 testing in high-density populations.

scholarly journals Challenges in Contact Tracing by Mining Mobile Phone Location Data for COVID-19: Implications for Public Governance in South Africa

10.28945/4736 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 101-124
Author(s):  
Paul Kariuki ◽  
Lizzy O Ofusori ◽  
Prabhakar Rontala Subramanniam ◽  
Moses Okpeku ◽  
Maria L Goyayi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Public Governance ◽  
The Public ◽  
Location Data ◽  
Pertinent Data ◽  
Privacy And Confidentiality

Aim/Purpose: The paper’s objective is to examine the challenges of using the mobile phone to mine location data for effective contact tracing of symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals and the implications of this technology for public health governance. Background: The COVID-19 crisis has created an unprecedented need for contact tracing across South Africa, requiring thousands of people to be traced and their details captured in government health databases as part of public health efforts aimed at breaking the chains of transmission. Contact tracing for COVID-19 requires the identification of persons who may have been exposed to the virus and following them up daily for 14 days from the last point of exposure. Mining mobile phone location data can play a critical role in locating people from the time they were identified as contacts to the time they access medical assistance. In this case, it aids data flow to various databases designated for COVID-19 work. Methodology: The researchers conducted a review of the available literature on this subject drawing from academic articles published in peer-reviewed journals, research reports, and other relevant national and international government documents reporting on public health and COVID-19. Document analysis was used as the primary research method, drawing on the case studies. Contribution: Contact tracing remains a critical strategy in curbing the deadly COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa and elsewhere in the world. However, given increasing concern regarding its invasive nature and possible infringement of individual liberties, it is imperative to interrogate the challenges related to its implementation to ensure a balance with public governance. The research findings can thus be used to inform policies and practices associated with contact tracing in South Africa. Findings: The study found that contact tracing using mobile phone location data mining can be used to enforce quarantine measures such as lockdowns aimed at mitigating a public health emergency such as COVID-19. However, the use of technology can expose the public to criminal activities by exposing their locations. From a public governance point of view, any exposure of the public to social ills is highly undesirable. Recommendations for Practitioners: In using contact tracing apps to provide pertinent data location caution needs to be exercised to ensure that sensitive private information is not made public to the extent that it compromises citizens’ safety and security. The study recommends the development and implementation of data use protocols to support the use of this technology, in order to mitigate against infringement of individual privacy and other civil liberties. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should explore ways of improving digital applications in order to improve the acceptability of the use of contact tracing technology to manage pandemics such as COVID-19, paying attention to ethical considerations. Impact on Society: Since contact tracing has implications for privacy and confidentiality it must be conducted with caution. This research highlights the challenges that the authorities must address to ensure that the right to privacy and confidentiality is upheld. Future Research: Future research could focus on collecting primary data to provide insight on contact tracing through mining mobile phone location data. Research could also be conducted on how app-based technology can enhance the effectiveness of contact tracing in order to optimize testing and tracing coverage. This has the potential to minimize transmission whilst also minimizing tracing delays. Moreover, it is important to develop contact tracing apps that are universally inter-operable and privacy-preserving.

scholarly journals Penile transplantation as an appropriate response to botched traditional circumcisions in South Africa: an argument against

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keymanthri Moodley ◽  
Stuart Rennie
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Male Circumcision ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Health Response

Traditional male circumcision is a deeply entrenched cultural practice in South Africa. In recent times, there have been increasing numbers of botched circumcisions by untrained and unscrupulous practitioners, leading to genital mutilation and often, the need for penile amputation. Hailed as a world’s first, a team of surgeons conducted the first successful penile transplant in Cape Town, South Africa in 2015. Despite the euphoria of this surgical victory, concerns about the use of this costly intervention in a context of severe resource constraints have been raised. In this paper, we explore some of the ethical implications of penile transplants as a clinical and public health response to the adverse consequences of traditional male circumcision. Given the current fiscal deficits in healthcare and public health sectors, how can one justify costly, high-technology interventions for conditions affecting a small section of the population? Since botched traditional male circumcisions are preventable, is a focus on penile transplantation as a form of treatment reasonable? Finally, do such interventions create undue expectations and false hope among a highly vulnerable and stigmatised group of young men? In this paper, we argue that given limited healthcare resources in South Africa and competing healthcare needs, prevention is a more appropriate response to botched traditional circumcisions than penile transplants.

Abstract 25: Cost-Effectiveness of Public Automated External Defibrillators

Circulation ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 138 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars W Andersen ◽  
Mathias J Holmberg ◽  
Asger Granfeldt ◽  
Lyndon P James ◽  
Lisa Caulley
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Incremental Cost ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio ◽  
Cost Effectiveness Ratio ◽  
Automated External Defibrillators ◽  
The Us ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Despite a consistent association with improved outcomes, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are used in only approximately 10% of public out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. One of the barriers towards increased use might be cost. The objective of this study was to provide a contemporary cost-effectiveness analysis on the use of public AEDs in the United States (US) to inform guidelines and public health initiatives. Methods: We compared the cost-effectiveness of public AEDs to no AEDs for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the US over a life-time horizon. The analysis assumed a societal perspective and results are presented as costs (in 2017 US dollars) per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Model inputs were based on reviews of the literature. For the base case, we modelled an annual cardiac arrest incidence per AED of 20%. It was assumed that AED use was associated with a 52% relative increase in survival to hospital discharge with a favorable neurological outcome in those with a shockable rhythm. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted to account for joint parameter uncertainty. Consistent with recent guidelines from the American Heart Association, we used a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000 per QALY gained. Results: The no AED strategy resulted in 1.63 QALYs at a cost of $42,757. The AED strategy yielded an additional 0.26 QALYs for an incremental increase in cost of $13,793 per individual. The AED strategy yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $53,797 per QALY gained. The yearly incidence of cardiac arrests occurring in the presence of an AED had minimal effect on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio except at very low incidences. At an incidence of 1%, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $101,040 per QALY gained. In sensitivity analyses across a plausible range of health-care and societal estimates, the AED strategy remained cost-effective. In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, the AED strategy was cost-effective in 43%, 85%, and 91% of the scenarios at a threshold of $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000 per QALY gained, respectively. Conclusion: Public AEDs are a cost-effective public health intervention in the US. These findings support widespread dissemination of public AEDs.

Cost-effectiveness and budget impact of flucytosine as induction therapy in the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-infected adults in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqui Miot ◽  
Trudy Leong ◽  
Simbarashe Takuva ◽  
Andrew Parrish ◽  
Halima Dawood
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Amphotericin B ◽  
Induction Therapy ◽  
Cryptococcal Meningitis ◽  
Budget Impact ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Oral Regimen

Abstract Background Cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-infected patients in sub-Saharan Africa accounts for three-quarters of the global cases and 135 000 deaths per annum. Current treatment includes the use of fluconazole and amphotericin B. Recent evidence has shown that the synergistic use of flucytosine improves efficacy and reduces toxicity, however affordability and availability has hampered access to flucytosine in many countries. This study investigated the evidence and cost implications of introducing flucytosine as induction therapy for cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-infected adults in South Africa. Methods A decision analytic cost-effectiveness and budget impact model was developed based on survival estimates from the ACTA trial and local costs for flucytosine as induction therapy in HIV-infected adults with cryptococcal meningitis in a public sector setting in South Africa. The model considered four treatment arms: (a) standard of care; 2-week course of amphotericin B/fluconazole (2wk AmBd/Flu), (b) 2-week course of amphotericin B/flucytosine (2wk AmBd/5FC), (c) short course; 1-week course amphotericin B/flucytosine (1wk AmBd/5FC) and (d) oral course; 2-week oral fluconazole/flucytosine (oral). A sensitivity analysis was conducted on key variables. Results The highest total treatment costs were in the 2-week AmBd/5FC arm followed by the 2-week oral regimen, then the 1-week AmBd/5FC with the lowest cost in the standard of care arm. Compared to standard of care the 1-week flucytosine course is most cost-effective at USD31/QALY, followed by the oral 2-week course at USD155/QALY and the 2-week flucytosine course at USD568/QALY. The budget impact analysis shows that the 1-week course has the lowest incremental cost, followed by the oral course and then the 2-week flucytosine course compared to what is currently spent on standard of care. Sensitivity analyses suggest that the model is most sensitive to the price of flucytosine and hospital costs, particularly length of stay. Conclusions The addition of flucytosine as induction therapy for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in patients infected with HIV is cost-effective regardless of whether it is used as a 1-week, 2-week or oral regimen. Savings could be achieved with early discharge of patients as well as a reduction in the price of flucytosine.

scholarly journals Economic evaluation of ‘Men on the Move’, a ‘real world’ community-based physical activity programme for men

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam Kelly ◽  
Michael Harrison ◽  
Noel Richardson ◽  
Paula Carroll ◽  
Tom Egan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Economic Evaluation ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Health Improvement ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Life Years ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) interventions capable of producing health benefits cost effectively are a public health priority across the Western world. ‘Men on the Move’ (MOM), a community-based PA intervention for men, demonstrated significant health benefits up to 52-weeks (W) post-baseline. This article details the economic evaluation of MOM with a view to determining its cost-effectiveness as a public health intervention to be rolled out nationally in Ireland. Methods Cost-effectiveness was determined by comparing the costs (direct and indirect) of the programme to its benefits, which were captured as the impact on quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). For the benefits, cost–utility analysis was conducted by retrospectively adapting various health-related measures of participants to generate health states using Brazier et al.’s (2002) short form-6D algorithm. This in turn allowed for ‘utility measures’ to be generated, from which QALYs were derived. Results Findings show MOM to be cost-effective in supporting an ‘at risk’ cohort of men achieves significant improvements in aerobic fitness, weight loss and waist reduction. The total cost per participant (€125.82 for each of the 501 intervention participants), the QALYs gained (11.98 post-12-W intervention, or 5.3% health improvement per participant) and estimated QALYs ratio costs of €3723 represents a cost-effective improvement when compared to known QALY guidelines. Conclusions The analysis shows that the cost per QALY achieved by MOM is significantly less than the existing benchmarks of £20 000 and €45 000 in the UK and Ireland respectively, demonstrating MOM to be cost-effective.

scholarly journals Assessing the South Korean Model of Emergency Management during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
MH Kim ◽  
Wonhyuk Cho ◽  
H Choi ◽  
JY Hur
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Asian Studies ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
South Korean ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
The Government

© 2020, © 2020 Asian Studies Association of Australia. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an unprecedented global public health crisis, and governments have implemented various responses with varying degrees of effectiveness. South Korea’s approach, which has involved minimal lockdown in order to “flatten the curve”, and which offers an alternative for many democracies, has attracted much attention. Based on in-depth interviews with public health professionals and policy advisors in government agencies, this article analyses how well South Korea’s response to COVID-19 complies with the expectations of good governance, and assesses the strengths and challenges of the Korean model. Our analysis shows that South Korea has been reactive rather than preventive/passive amid waves of clusters such as outbreaks in nightclubs, e-commerce warehouses, schools, hospitals and religious gatherings. The government has used a range of countermeasures, including contact tracing, diagnostic testing, media briefings and text alerts. At the same time, the challenges for the Korean approach have been concerns about privacy, fatigue over emergency alerts and politicisation.

scholarly journals Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna P Reddy ◽  
Kieran P Fitzmaurice ◽  
Justine A Scott ◽  
Guy Harling ◽  
Richard J Lessells ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Vaccination Program ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Symptomatic Disease ◽  
Epidemic Dynamics ◽  
Wide Range

Low- and middle-income countries are implementing COVID-19 vaccination strategies in light of varying and uncertain vaccine efficacies and costs, supply shortages, and resource constraints. We used a microsimulation model to evaluate clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of a COVID-19 vaccination program in South Africa. We varied vaccination coverage, pace, acceptance, effectiveness, and cost as well as epidemic dynamics. Providing vaccine to at least 40% of the population and prioritizing accelerated vaccine rollout prevented >9 million infections and >73,000 deaths and reduced costs due to fewer hospitalizations. Further, the vaccination program was cost-saving even at the lowest examined levels of acceptance (50%), effectiveness against infection (20%), effectiveness against symptomatic disease (30%), and effectiveness against severe/critical disease requiring hospitalization (40%), and with vaccination costs of up to USD25/person. In summary, a COVID-19 vaccination program would reduce both deaths and health care costs in South Africa across a wide range of assumptions. Vaccination program implementation factors, including prompt procurement, distribution, and rollout, are likely more influential than characteristics of the vaccine itself in maximizing public health benefits and economic efficiency.

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