The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
ZIMBABWE can save up to $200 million in HIV management by 2030 if it continues realising gains from Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision (VMMC), it has been revealed.
A research article released last week by the Ministry of Health and Child Care medical experts and the Imperial College London in the PLOS One journal reads that voluntary male circumcision has also averted more than 12 000 infections.
Zimbabwe adopted (VMMC) as a priority HIV prevention strategy in 2007 and began its implementation in 2009.
According to the report the VMMC programme averted 2 600 to 2,200 infections (among men and women combined) by the end of 2016.
“While additional funds will be required to meet the VMMC target by 2021, after the target is reached, fewer annual resources will be required to maintain VMMC coverage.
“Over 2009-2030, the cost to avert one HIV infection with VMMC will be only $2 100 to $3 250.
“Once the target VMMC coverage levels have been reached, the net annual cost of maintaining treatment provision and the VMMC programme together will be lower than what it would cost to maintain treatment in the absence of the VMMC programme, because the aversion of new infections by VMMC will reduce the long-term treatment need.
“The ‘break-even point’ occurs in 2022. The reduction in net costs may reach $55-198 million over 2017-2030,” reads the report.
Sustaining the accelerated VMMC programme will however, require continued funding and support in Zimbabwe.
The US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), one of the main funders, plans to continue supporting VMMC programmes in 14 countries and aims to achieve saturation by 2020 in priority districts.
Annual savings from averted treatment needs will outweigh VMMC maintenance costs once coverage targets are reached.
The reports also states that VMMC can substantially impact Zimbabwe’s HIV epidemic in the coming years.
The Zimbabwe VMMC programme has set 2021 target coverage levels of 80 percent of 15 to 29-year-old men and 30 percent of 10 to 14-year-olds.
The analysis by the health experts suggests that the VMMC programme in Zimbabwe has already had impact, and forecasts that its health and economic benefits will grow significantly in the future.
Moreover, the model suggests that annual savings from averted HIV treatment needs will outweigh VMMC maintenance costs once coverage targets are reached.
“In a wider context of concerns about plateauing global resources for HIV/ Aids and mounting long-term costs of antiretroviral therapy programmes, these are important findings to underpin continued high-priority investment in this uniquely cost-effective prevention intervention in Zimbabwe,” reads the report.
