Cost-effectiveness of screening and valacyclovir-based treatment strategies for first-trimester cytomegalovirus primary infection in pregnant women in France.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness, cost and cost-effectiveness of four screening strategies for first-trimester (T1) cytomegalovirus (CMV) primary infection (PI) in pregnant women in France.

Methods: In a simulated pregnant population of 800 000 (approximate number of pregnancies each year in France), using costs based on the year 2022, we compared four CMV maternal screening strategies: Strategy S1, no systematic screening (current public health recommendations in France); Strategy S2, screening of 25-50% of the pregnant population (current screening practice in France); Strategy S3, universal screening (current medical recommendations in France); Strategy S4, universal screening (as in Strategy S3) in conjunction with valacyclovir in case of T1 PI. Outcomes were total cost, effectiveness (number of congenital infections, number of diagnosed infections) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER).

Modelling the potential effectiveness of hepatitis C screening and treatment strategies during pregnancy in Egypt and Ukraine.

Background & Aims: HCV test and treat campaigns currently exclude pregnant women. Pregnancy offers a unique opportunity for HCV screening and to potentially initiate direct-acting antiviral treatment. We explored HCV screening and treatment strategies in two lower middle-income countries with high HCV prevalence, Egypt and Ukraine.