This study evaluates the implementation and running costs of an HIV self-testing (HIVST) distribution program in Eswatini. HIVST kits were delivered through community-based and workplace models using primary and secondary distribution. Primary clients could self-test onsite or offsite. This study presents total running economic costs of kit distribution per model between April 2019 and March 2020, and estimates average cost per HIVST kit distributed, per client self-tested, per client self-tested reactive, per client confirmed positive, and per client initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART).
This paper is part of a series of articles from BMC Infectious Diseases Volume 22 Supplement 1: Innovating with HIV self-testing for impact in Southern Africa: Lessons learned from the STAR (Self-Testing AfRica) Initiative. This supplement is a collaborative effort between Population Services International (PSI), the World Health Organization, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and other members of the STAR Consortium. It presents significant achievements and insights gained from the introduction, scale-up, and optimization of self-testing.