Author summary Why was this study done? Drug resistance poses a major barrier to the effective treatment of tuberculosis, especially in Moldova and other post-Soviet states which have the highest levels of resistance in the world. Individuals with tuberculosis resistant to the key drug rifampicin face a worse prognosis, a longer and more expensive course of treatment, and more side effects than individuals with rifampicin-susceptible tuberculosis. Until recently, the standard of care for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB) involved many drugs in combination, often given for 18 months or longer. The newer, 6-month “BPaLM” regimen is comprised of 4 drugs (bedaquiline, pretomanid, linezolid, and moxifloxacin) to which resistance levels are currently low, and while it was shown to be just as effective as the standard of care when health outcomes were measured at 72 weeks from treatment initiation, its effect on lifetime health outcomes, costs, and the acquisition of dru
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Author summary Why was this study done? Radical cure with primaquine or recently approved tafenoquine is required to clear the dormant liver parasites of vivax malaria. While single-dose tafenoquine overcomes the barrier of patient adherence to the current 7-day primaquine treatment, it costs more and requires screening for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. While the impact of changing policies to tafenoquine after G6PD screening on transmission has been evaluated, the associated costs and cost-effectiveness will be important considerations for policymakers. What did the researchers find? Using an economic evaluation model coupled with a transmission model, we found that prescribing tafenoquine to vivax malaria patients without G6PD deficiency would be highly likely to be cost-effective in Brazil. Tafenoquine will be particularly cost-effective in settings where patient adherence to the current 7-day treatment is low and when paediatric tafenoquine is available
In a systematic review of economic evaluations, Gharpure and team examine the costs of influenza illness and vaccination programs in low- and middle-income countries to assess potential barriers to global implementation. Full length: In this systematic review of economic evaluations, Radhika Gharpure and colleagues examine the costs of influenza illness, the costs of influenza vaccination programs, and the cost-effectiveness of vaccination from low- and middle-income countries to assess whether gaps remain that could hinder global implementation of influenza vaccination programs.
<p>A study by scientists and physicians from Duke University and two Brazilian institutions evaluated the cost-effectiveness of making snake bite antivenom more available in the Amazonas region. Expanding access to antivenom at both hospitals and community health centers would produce the largest benefits, averting up to 3,922 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) while yielding economic benefits of up to US$8.98 million.The findings appear in the January 2024 issue of The Lancet Regional Health - Americas.</p>