# name
Economic evaluations of HBV testing and treatment strategies and
                applicability to low and middle-income countries

# metadata.dc.description.abstract[].value
BACKGROUND: Many people living with chronic HBV infection remain
                undiagnosed until later stages of disease. Increasing testing
                and treatment rates form part of the strategy to respond to the
                WHO goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health
                threat by 2030. However, achieving these ambitious targets is
                dependent on finding effective and cost-effective methods of
                scale up strategies. The aim of this study was to undertake a
                narrative review of the literature on economic evaluations of
                testing and treatment for HBV infection, to help inform the
                development of the 2017 WHO Hepatitis Testing Guidelines.
                METHODS: We undertook a focussed literature review for economic
                evaluations on testing for HBV accompanied by antiviral
                treatment. The search was carried out in Pubmed and included
                only articles published after 2000 and written in English. We
                narratively synthesise the results and discuss the key drivers
                of cost-effectiveness and their applicability to low and
                middle-income countries (LMICs). RESULTS: Nine published studies
                were included in this review, only one of which was performed in
                a low or middle-income setting in West Africa. Eight studies
                were performed in high-income settings, seven among high risk
                groups and one among the general population. The studies were
                heterogeneous in many respects including the population and
                testing strategy under consideration, model structure and
                baselines parameters, willingness to pay thresholds and outcome
                measures used. However, most studies found HBV testing and
                treatment to be cost-effective, even at low HBsAg prevalence
                levels. CONCLUSIONS: Currently economic evaluations of HBV
                testing and treatment strategies in LMICs is lacking, therefore
                limiting the ability to provide formal recommendations on the
                basis of cost-effectiveness alone. Further implementation
                research is needed in order to help guide national policy
                planning.

# metadata.dc.relation.isformatof[].value
Reproducció del document publicat a:
                http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12879-017-2778-x

# metadata.dc.relation.ispartof[].value
BMC Infectious Diseases, 2017, vol. 17, num. Suppl 1, p. 692

# metadata.dc.rights[].value
cc by (c) World Health Organization, 2017

# metadata.dc.source[].value
Articles publicats en revistes (ISGlobal)

# metadata.dc.title[].value
Economic evaluations of HBV testing and treatment strategies and
                applicability to low and middle-income countries