Abstract for: Evidence-Based Policy Design for HIV/AIDS Response Programs in Côte

In 2013, Sub-Saharan Africa was home to about 70% of the 35 million people living with HIV/AIDS globally. Among West African nations, Cote d’Ivoire has the highest HIV/AIDS prevalence, with about 3.7% of the population. In this research, we develop a formal system dynamics model capturing the evolution of HIV/AIDS in Cote d’Ivoire with data spanning 25 years. We project the evolution of HIV/AIDS in the country in a calibrated model and evaluate the impact of PEPFAR specific HIV/AIDS policies in a disaggregate model with specific vulnerable groups. In particular, we analyze the cost-effectiveness of policies such as targeting and selecting vulnerable adults and children for HIV testing and diagnosing, retaining HIV positive for care, testing and monitoring patients’ CD4 count, evaluating pre-ART eligibility, and allocating patients for ART treatment and medication.