A new analysis, published in IJTLD Open, from South Africa and the Philippines further confirms that six-month, all-oral BPaL/M regimens for drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) not only lead to more successful treatment outcomes, but are more cost-effective than older treatments.
Compared to the standard 9-11-month, short, oral regimen – one of the shorter alternate regimens currently in use – the 6-month BPaL/M reduces the cost per successful treatment by 20–25% in South Africa and 9–11% in the Philippines. Additionally, treatment with BPaL/M leads to fewer deaths, fewer patients lost to follow-up, and a much higher chance of cure.
Increased treatment completion rates mean that the average person enrolled on treatment is missing fewer appointments for treatment or follow up, using and benefiting from available health services. Thus, the analysis notes that budgets may rise slightly at the outset of BPaL/M implementation to support the increase in people completing care. This initial investment pays big dividends. Healthier populations mean fewer repeat treatments, lower health system costs, and stronger economic productivity. Over just five years, the economic benefit of BPaL/M is estimated at nearly US$1 billion in South Africa and over US$800 million in the Philippines, far outweighing the initial investment.