Cost-effectiveness of early initiation of first-line combination antiretroviral therapy in Uganda

摘要

BackgroundUgandan national guidelines recommend initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) at CD4⁺ T cell (CD4) count below 350 cell/μl, but the implementation of this is limited due to availability of medication. However, cART initiation at higher CD4 count increases survival, albeit at higher lifetime treatment cost. This analysis evaluates the cost-effectiveness of initiating cART at a CD4 count between 250–350 cell/μl (early) versus <250 cell/μl (delayed).