AI Insight
Researchers used mathematical modeling to compare the cost-effectiveness of six tuberculosis screening approaches in South Africa, including clinic-based and community-based strategies targeting different populations. Community radiographic screening at 10% annual population coverage emerged as the most cost-effective standalone approach at $421 per disability-adjusted life year averted. The optimal strategy combined community radiographic screening at progressively higher coverage with clinic-based approaches, suggesting that complementary methods targeting both high-risk groups and underscreened populations are most effective.
Why it matters
With declining TB funding in South Africa, this analysis provides evidence-based guidance for health officials to allocate limited resources most effectively. The findings suggest that combining community and clinic-based screening approaches, rather than relying solely on clinic-based testing, could save more lives per dollar spent while helping South Africa meet its ambitious TB testing targets.
⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
Dieser Artikel wurde noch nicht von unabhängigen Experten begutachtet. Die Ergebnisse sind vorläufig und sollten mit Vorsicht interpretiert werden.
The South Africa National Department of Health have set ambitious targets to scale up TB testing, focusing primarily on clinic attendees. In the context of declining funding for TB care and prevention, the most cost-effective approaches for targeting testing should be identified. We developed a mathematical model of TB in South Africa, explicitly incorporating clinic attendance by sex and HIV/ART status. We simulated six screening approaches over 2026-2035 (individually and in combination): three clinic-based (symptom screening, intensified targeted universal TB testing [TUTT, symptom-agnostic sputum testing of clinic attendees in key risk groups], and intensified TUTT allowing saliva samples) and three targeted community-based (community radiographic screening, symptom screening, and universal Xpert Ultra testing), each implemented at a range of coverage levels. Model outputs were combined with a mechanistic cost function to estimate potential impact and cost-effectiveness from a societal perspective. The most cost-effective standalone approach was community radiographic screening at 10% annual population coverage, with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $421 per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. 10/11 scenarios along the expansion path included community radiographic screening at progressively higher coverage, combined with a clinic-based approach. Combining complementary approaches to reach both groups at increased risk of TB (e.g. clinic-based screening) and groups with lower screening coverage (e.g. community-based screening) may increase cost-effectiveness of TB screening, compared to standalone approaches. When designing TB screening strategies, both population risk and existing screening coverage should be considered.