Abstract
ObjectiveWe estimated the average annual cost per patient of ART per facility (unit cost) in Nigeria, described the variation in costs across facilities, and identified factors associated with this variation.MethodsWe used facility-level data of 80 facilities in Nigeria, collected between December 2014 and May 2015. We estimated unit costs at each facility as the ratio of total costs (the sum of costs of staff, recurrent inputs and services, capital, training, laboratory tests, and antiretroviral and TB treatment drugs) divided by the annual number of patients. We applied linear regressions to estimate factors associated with ART cost per patient.ResultsThe unit ART cost in Nigeria was $157 USD nationally and the facility-level mean was $231 USD. The study found a wide variability in unit costs across facilities. Variations in costs were explained by number of patients, level of care, task shifting (shifting tasks from doctors to less specialized staff, mainly nurses, to provide ART) and provider´s competence. The study illuminated the potentially important role that management practices can play in improving the efficiency of ART services.ConclusionsOur study identifies characteristics of services associated with the most efficient implementation of ART services in Nigeria. These results will help design efficient program scale-up to deliver comprehensive HIV services in Nigeria by distinguishing features linked to lower unit costs.
Highlights
HIV prevalence in Nigeria was estimated at 3.2% in 2012, with prevalence among states ranging from 0.2% in Ekiti to 15.2% in Rivers [1]
The study illuminated the potentially important role that management practices can play in improving the efficiency of antiretroviral treatment (ART) services
Our study identifies characteristics of services associated with the most efficient implementation of ART services in Nigeria
Summary
We used facility-level data of 80 facilities in Nigeria, collected between December 2014 and May 2015. We applied linear regressions to estimate factors associated with ART cost per patient
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