Cost-Effectiveness of Antiretroviral Treatment for HIV-Positive Adults in a South African Township

Background to this report

This report is the product of research into the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of treatment for HIV-positive adults. The research was conducted in three HIVdedicated clinics in Khayelitsha, a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. The formal objectives of the research were to:

• Describe the costs of providing antiretroviral treatment (ART) at primary care clinics
• Describe the costs of providing care for HIV in the absence of ART at primary care clinics
• Determine the associated health care costs for patients with HIV referred to other levels of care
• Describe the effectiveness of ART and no-ART (i.e. treatment in the absence of ART) in terms of life years (LYs) gained and quality adjusted life years gained (QALYs)
• Describe the cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of ART and no-ART in this setting
• Describe the incremental cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of ART
• Describe the incremental cost-effectiveness of different starting times of ART