Rapid Syphilis Testing Is Cost-Effective Even in Low-Prevalence Settings: The CISNE-PERU Experience

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 7;11(3):e0149568. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149568. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Studies have addressed cost-effectiveness of syphilis testing of pregnant women in high-prevalence settings. This study compares costs of rapid syphilis testing (RST) with laboratory-based rapid plasma reagin (RPR) tests in low-prevalence settings in Peru. The RST was introduced in a tertiary-level maternity hospital and in the Ventanilla Network of primary health centers, where syphilis prevalence is approximately 1%. The costs per woman tested and treated with RST at the hospital were $2.70 and $369 respectively compared with $3.60 and $740 for RPR. For the Ventanilla Network the costs per woman tested and treated with RST were $3.19 and $295 respectively compared with $5.55 and $1454 for RPR. The cost per DALY averted using RST was $46 vs. $109 for RPR. RST showed lower costs compared to the WHO standard costs per DALY ($64). Findings suggest syphilis screening with RST is cost-effective in low-prevalence settings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abortion, Spontaneous
  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Delivery, Obstetric
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mothers
  • Peru / epidemiology
  • Point-of-Care Testing / economics*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / diagnosis*
  • Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / epidemiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Syphilis / diagnosis*
  • Syphilis / epidemiology*
  • Time Factors

Grants and funding

Financial support for this study was provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through a grant (#47697). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.