[Assessing the direct cost of medical care for HIV between the third and tenth year of ARV treatment in Dakar].

The direct cost of medical care for HIV infection-excluding ARVs, viral load and CD4 counts-was assessed for patients who received ARV treatment in Senegal within the framework of the ANRS cohort 1215, between the third and tenth year of follow-up. The average annual direct cost was estimated at 120 <euro>/patient/year; this amount remained stable over the first ten years of treatment follow-up. Biological assessments for routine follow-up account for the majority of these costs (66%), followed by drugs (26%). Given the level of economic poverty facing by families, patients cannot bear such expenses over several years. However, these costs appear low enough to be covered by HIV-treatment programs or included in Universal Health Coverage systems.