State of HIV costing in Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic literature review.

Objectives: To summarize available data on unit costs for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, prevention, and care interventions in Latin America and the Caribbean. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review of costing studies published between 2012 and 2024, and selected those reporting empirically measured costing data. The available data were categorized according to predefined intervention categories and compared by time and place. We also explored variations in unit costs by intervention type. Results: Of 1 746 studies identified, 22 met the inclusion criteria, which provided 103 unique unit cost estimates from nine countries. About 50% of the included studies were published between 2019 and 2021. Antiretroviral therapy services had the most cost data available (39% of unit costs), followed by inpatient care (27%) and HIV testing (24%). Considerable cost variations were observed both within and between interventions. Conclusions: Our analysis underscores the need for accurate and reliable cost data to support HIV budgeting and decision-making efforts. We identified several gaps in the availability of cost data and emphasize the importance of presenting results more effectively by incorporating key contextual variables. Given the challenges of shrinking budgets and sustainability risks, robust evidence is indispensable to inform priority setting and budget allocation for HIV services.

The impact of the Covid-19 vaccination policy in Mexico. A quasi-experimental effectiveness evaluation of a multi-vaccine strategy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a vaccination campaign that administered five different technologies in a middle-income country with one of the largest Covid-19 epidemics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using data from Mexico's Epidemiological Surveillance System for Viral Respiratory Disease (Sisver) and the design of the vaccine policy in Mexico as a natural experiment, we applied difference-in-differences econometric methods to assess the strategy's effectiveness on transmission, hospitalizations, and mortality rates among adults 60 to 64 years old in Mexico between April and June 2021. RESULTS: We estimated average effectiveness levels of 60.9% against confirmed cases of Covid-19. Vaccination also decreased hospitalizations and deaths by 62.7 and 62.6%, respectively. After adjusting for vaccination coverage, we found an impact of 79.1, 80.9, and 81.3% reduction in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths among the vaccinated. CONCLUSION: Despite the significant progress in our knowledge of Covid-19 vaccination effectiveness, the available evidence relies mostly on experiences from high-income countries. This study contributes to the scientific literature of Covid-19 vaccination effectiveness in a middle-income country with a multi-vaccine scheme.

[Depressive symptoms and coverage of diagnosis andtreatment of depression in Mexican population]. / Síntomas depresivos y cobertura de diagnóstico y tratamiento de depresión en población mexicana.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in the prevalence of de-pressive symptoms (DS) and in detection and treatment coverage between 2006 and 2018, and to identify the socio-demographic factors associated with the latter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used data from the Ensanut 2006, 2012, 2018-19, 100k. We used logistic regression to explore demographic factors associated with coverage of detection and treatment of depression. RESULTS: The prevalence of DS was respectively: 15.4, 13.7, 13.6 and 15.0%. Living in munici-palities with a very high and high degree of marginalization was associated with less coverage of detection and treatment of depression. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides evidence on the gaps that exist in access to mental health services between regions and different levels of marginalization and highlights the need to direct efforts to increase access to health services that allow timely diagnosis and treatment of DS and depression.

OBJETIVO: Estimar cambios en la prevalencia de síntomas depresivos (SD) y en la cobertura de detección y tratamiento entre 2006 y 2018, e identificar los factores sociodemográfi-cos asociados con estos últimos. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se utilizaron datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (Ensanut) 2006, 2012, 2018-19 y 100k. Usamos regresión logística para explorar factores demográficos asociados con detección y tratamiento de depresión. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia de SD fue respectivamente de 15.4, 13.7, 13.6 y 15.0%. Vivir en municipios con muy alto y alto grado de marginación se asoció con menor cobertura de detección y tratamiento de depresión. CONCLUSIONES: Este trabajo brinda evidencia sobre las brechas que existen en el acceso a servicios de salud mental entre regiones y diferentes niveles de marginación, y resalta la necesidad de encaminar esfuerzos para incrementar acceso de servicios de salud que permitan el diagnóstico y tratamiento oportunos de SD y la depresión.

How the COVID-19 pandemic and the health system's response reduced HIV testing and increased late diagnoses in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the disruption in HIV screening and diagnoses due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to investigate the pandemic's subsequent influence on the HIV epidemic. DESIGN: A retrospective examination of testing and confirmed diagnoses time series was undertaken from 2011 to 2022. The analysis encompassed testing, positive tests, positivity rates, and diagnosis outcomes, including new HIV diagnoses, asymptomatic HIV diagnoses, and symptomatic HIV diagnoses. METHODS: We used Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models to estimate the COVID-19 epidemic's impact on screening and diagnosis outcomes. We gauged the pandemic's effect between January 2020 and December 2022 by comparing modeled predicted results with actual outcomes. RESULTS: The advent of COVID-19 prompted a reduction of 50.7% in HIV testing, followed by a monthly escalation in testing afterward, estimated at 30.2 and 65.1% for 2021 and 2022, respectively. Although new diagnoses reported between 2020 and 2022 gradually increased to prepandemic levels, we estimate a gap of 13 207 new diagnoses, with symptomatic detections increasing more than proportionally in 2021 and 2022. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in missed HIV diagnoses and a rise in late HIV diagnoses. Implementing tailored post-COVID-19 strategies to accelerate timely HIV testing and prevention is needed to avert additional burdens and remain on track toward achieving the 2030 HIV management goals.

Impact of Fee For Service on the Efficiency and Survival of Seguro Popular's Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Mexico.

PURPOSE: Cost containment and efficiency in the provision of health care are primary concerns for health systems that aim to provide affordable, high-quality care. Between 2005 and 2015, Seguro Poplar's Fund against Catastrophic Expenditures (FPGC) funded ALL treatment in Mexico. Before January 1, 2011, FPGC reimbursed a fixed amount per patient according to risk. In 2011, the per capita reimbursement method changed to fee for service. We used this natural experiment to estimate the impact of the reimbursement policy change on average expenditure and quality of care for ALL treatment in Mexico. METHODS: We used nationwide reimbursement data from the Seguro Poplar's FPGC from 2005 to 2015. We created a patient cohort to assess 3-year survival and estimate the average reimbursement before and after the fee-for-service policy. We examined survival and expenditure impacts, controlling for patients' and providers' characteristics, including sex, risk (standard and high), the volume of patients served, type of institution (federally funded v other), and level of care. To quantify the impact, we used a regression discontinuity approach. RESULTS: The average reimbursement for standard-risk patients in the 3-year survival cohort was $16,512 US dollars (USD; 95% CI, 16,042 to 17,032) before 2011 and $10,205 USD (95% CI, 4,659 to 12,541) under the fee-for-service reimbursement scheme after 2011. The average annual reimbursement per patient decreased by 136% among high-risk patients. The reduction was also significant for the standard-risk cohort, although the magnitude was substantially smaller (34%). CONCLUSION: As Mexico's government is currently restructuring the health system, our study provides evidence of the efficiency and effectiveness of the funding mechanism in the Mexican context. It also serves as a proof of concept for using administrative data to evaluate economic performance and quality of care of publicly funded health programs.

Síntomas depresivos y cobertura de diagnóstico y tratamiento de depresión en población mexicana / Depressive symptoms and coverage of diagnosis and treatment of depression in Mexican population

Abstract Objective: To assess changes in the prevalence of depressive symptoms (DS) and in detection and treatment coverage between 2006 and 2018, and to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with the latter. Materials and methods: We used data from the Ensanut 2006, 2012, 2018-19, 100k. We used logistic regression to explore demographic factors associated with coverage of detection and treatment of depression. Results: The prevalence of DS was respectively: 15.4, 13.7, 13.6 and 15.0%. Living in municipalities with a very high and high degree of marginalization was associated with less coverage of detection and treatment of depression. Conclusions: This work provides evidence on the gaps that exist in access to mental health services between regions and different levels of marginalization and highlights the need to direct efforts to increase access to health services that allow timely diagnosis and treatment of DS and depression.

Resumen Objetivo: Estimar cambios en la prevalencia de síntomas depresivos (SD) y en la cobertura de detección y tratamiento entre 2006 y 2018, e identificar los factores sociodemográficos asociados con estos últimos. Material y métodos: Se utilizaron datos de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud y Nutrición (Ensanut) 2006, 2012, 2018-19 y 100k. Usamos regresión logística para explorar factores demográficos asociados con detección y tratamiento de depresión. Resultados: La prevalencia de SD fue respectivamente de 15.4, 13.7, 13.6 y 15.0%. Vivir en municipios con muy alto y alto grado de marginación se asoció con menor cobertura de detección y tratamiento de depresión. Conclusiones: Este trabajo brinda evidencia sobre las brechas que existen en el acceso a servicios de salud mental entre regiones y diferentes niveles de marginación, y resalta la necesidad de encaminar esfuerzos para incrementar acceso de servicios de salud que permitan el diagnóstico y tratamiento oportunos de SD y la depresión.