Macroeconomics and health: Understanding the impact of a declining economy on health outcomes of children and young adults in South Africa.

Background: The current covid-19 economic crisis continues to weaken economic growth in South Africa. This study was designed to show how a declining economic state affects the mental health conditions, metabolic risk factors, communicable conditions, and non-communicable conditions of adolescent (18-year cohorts) and adult (25-year cohorts) population groups comparatively. Study design: This was a panel analysis using secondary data issued by Statistic South Africa. Methods: The author used a Two-stage Least Squared Model (2SLS) to quantify the impact of the declining economy on mental health conditions (depression and traumatic stress), non-communicable conditions (cancer and diabetes), metabolic risk factors (alcohol abuse and hypertension), and communicable conditions (influenza, diarrhea, dry cough) of both adolescent and young adult population groups. Each group comprised a treatment and a control group. Results: The declining economic state of 2008-2014 worsens the mental health conditions, metabolic risk factors, and non-communicable conditions of adolescent and young adult populations. However, the declining economy reduced cases of communicable conditions. The impact of the declining economy worsens mental health conditions, metabolic risk factors, and non-communicable conditions more in urban settings than in rural regions. Men abuse alcohol more than women during economic decline, triggering worsening mental health conditions, hypertension, and non-communicable conditions, especially in the adult population residing in urban settings. Conclusions: Economic decline worsen mental health conditions, metabolic risk factors, and non-communicable conditions. The South African government may want to prioritize these conditions as covid-19 economic shocks continue to backslide economic growth.

The impact of national health promotion policy on stillbirth and maternal mortality in South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: In 2015, the South African government implemented the national health promotion policy (NHPP), intending to reduce stillbirth and maternal mortality. This study was designed to quantify the impact of the NHPP on stillbirth and maternal mortality in both the South African population and immigrant citizens. STUDY DESIGN: This was a panel analysis using secondary data issued by Statistic South Africa-Vital Statistics. METHODS: The author exploited the changes in smoking status that the NHPP exerted between 2015 and 2017. The author then builds credible control and treatment groups based on smoking status for both groups. Women who quitted smoking post-NHPP implementation were considered as the treatment group. Women who persisted with smoking post-NHPP implementation were classified as the control group. The author then used a Two-stage Least Squared Model to quantify the impact of the NHPP on stillbirth and maternal mortality in both the South African and immigrant populations. RESULTS: The model shows that NHPP averts stillbirths by 8.36% in the South African population residing in the urban areas and by 2.84% in the rural segments of the country. NHPP averts South African maternal mortalities by 20.88% in urban areas and by 15.60% in the rural segments of the country.Regarding the immigrant population, the model shows that NHPP averts immigrant's stillbirths by 7.61% in the urban areas and by 2.79% in the rural segments of the country. In addition, NHPP averts immigrant maternal mortalities by 19.22% in the urban areas and by 13.04% in the rural segments of the country. CONCLUSIONS: NHPP reduces stillbirth and maternal mortality outcomes slightly biased toward the South African population. These inequalities reflect immigrant's lack of response to the NHPP framework and inadequate access to the South African health system.

The cost and intermediary cost-effectiveness of oral HIV self-test kit distribution across 11 distribution models in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Countries around the world seek innovative ways of closing their remaining gaps towards the target of 95% of people living with HIV (PLHIV) knowing their status by 2030. Offering kits allowing HIV self-testing (HIVST) in private might help close these gaps. METHODS: We analysed the cost, use and linkage to onward care of 11 HIVST kit distribution models alongside the Self-Testing AfRica Initiative's distribution of 2.2 million HIVST kits in South Africa in 2018/2019. Outcomes were based on telephonic surveys of 4% of recipients; costs on a combination of micro-costing, time-and-motion and expenditure analysis. Costs were calculated from the provider perspective in 2019 US$, as incremental costs in integrated and full costs in standalone models. RESULTS: HIV positivity among kit recipients was 4%-23%, with most models achieving 5%-6%. Linkage to confirmatory testing and antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation for those screening positive was 19%-78% and 2%-72% across models. Average costs per HIVST kit distributed varied between $4.87 (sex worker model) and $18.07 (mobile integration model), with differences largely driven by kit volumes. HIVST kit costs (at $2.88 per kit) and personnel costs were the largest cost items throughout. Average costs per outcome increased along the care cascade, with the sex worker network model being the most cost-effective model across metrics used (cost per kit distributed/recipient screening positive/confirmed positive/initiating ART). Cost per person confirmed positive for HIVST was higher than standard HIV testing. CONCLUSION: HIV self-test distribution models in South Africa varied widely along four characteristics: distribution volume, HIV positivity, linkage to care and cost. Volume was highest in models that targeted public spaces with high footfall (flexible community, fixed point and transport hub distribution), followed by workplace models. Transport hub, workplace and sex worker models distributed kits in the least costly way. Distribution via index cases at facility as well as sex worker network distribution identified the highest number of PLHIV at lowest cost.

Costs of integrating HIV self-testing in public health facilities in Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

INTRODUCTION: As countries approach the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, there is a need for innovative and cost-saving HIV testing approaches that can increase testing coverage in hard-to-reach populations. The HIV Self-Testing Africa-Initiative distributed HIV self-test (HIVST) kits using unincentivised HIV testing counsellors across 31 public facilities in Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. HIVST was distributed either through secondary (partner's use) distribution alone or primary (own use) and secondary distribution approaches. METHODS: We evaluated the costs of adding HIVST to existing HIV testing from the providers' perspective in the 31 public health facilities across the four countries between 2018 and 2019. We combined expenditure analysis and bottom-up costing approaches. We also carried out time-and-motion studies on the counsellors to estimate the human resource costs of introducing and demonstrating how to use HIVST for primary and secondary use. RESULTS: A total of 41 720 kits were distributed during the analysis period, ranging from 1254 in Zimbabwe to 27 678 in Zambia. The cost per kit distributed through the primary distribution approach was $4.27 in Zambia and $9.24 in Zimbabwe. The cost per kit distributed through the secondary distribution approach ranged from $6.46 in Zambia to $13.42 in South Africa, with a wider variation in the average cost at facility-level. From the time-and-motion observations, the counsellors spent between 20% and 44% of the observed workday on HIVST. Overall, personnel and test kit costs were the main cost drivers. CONCLUSION: The average costs of distributing HIVST kits were comparable across the four countries in our analysis despite wide cost variability within countries. We recommend context-specific exploration of potential efficiency gains from these facility-level cost variations and demand creation activities to ensure continued affordability at scale.