Background: Secondary distribution of HIV self-testing kits (HIVST) to pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics to give to their male partners is a promising strategy to increase testing coverage among men, but its costs are unknown.
Methods: We conducted micro-costing of a trial evaluating secondary distribution of HIVST on pregnant women living with HIV (PWLHIV) in an ANC in Kampala, Uganda. Costs (2019 USD) were collected from program budgets, expenditure records, time and motion observations, and staff interviews and estimated for three scenarios: as-studied, reflecting full costs of the research intervention, Ministry of Health (MOH) implementation, reflecting the research intervention if implemented by the MOH, and MOH roll-out, the current strategy being used to roll out HIVST distribution.
Results: In the as-studied scenario, cost of HIVST provision was $13.96/PWLHIV reached, and $11.89 and $10.55 per HIV-positive and HIV-negative male partner, respectively, who linked to a clinic for facility-based testing. In the MOH implementation scenario, costs were $9.45/PWLHIV, and $7.87 and $6.99, respectively, per HIV-positive and HIV-negative male partner linking to the clinic. In the MOH roll-out scenario, the cost of HIVST provision to pregnant women regardless of HIV status was $3.70/woman, and $6.65/HIV-positive male partner.
Conclusion: Secondary distribution of HIVST from pregnant women can be implemented at reasonable cost to increase testing among men in Uganda and similar settings in Africa.
Keywords: Africa; HIV self-testing; HIV testing; costing; pregnant women; secondary distribution.