Ireland: HIQA Releases Economic Evaluation of Repeat Universal Antenatal Screening for HIV in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy
A report issued by Ireland's Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) contains advice on whether a change in the existing Irish guidelines for the management of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) in pregnancy is warranted.
The conclusion is that the cost of introducing repeat universal antenatal HIV screening in the third trimester is high compared to the expected benefits.
In the context of a finite healthcare budget, consideration must be given to the existing services that may need to be displaced should a decision be made to introduce repeat testing at a cost of up to €1.25 million per annum.
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