An integrated HIV care and prevention program in Cambodia shows a promising social return on investment of up to 73 percent for every dollar spent, a new report shows.
Using a simplified methodology to measure social return on investment, the report says it found that for every $1 spent on the European Commission-funded program between 2007 and 2011, $1.73 was generated in health, economic and social-related values.
The report was conducted as part of the end evaluation of the project, which was managed by the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance, or KHANA. The methodology was simplified and adapted for use at the community level by the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.
Among the main benefits of the program was promotion of greater understanding and ability of care givers to support people living with HIV and orphaned and vulnerable children. This helped to significantly increase the quality of lives of said population groups, the report notes. The program also helped beneficiaries avoid high health costs from late diagnosis, the report says.
But despite the 73 percent return, the program still has room for improvement, the report says. It urged KHANA and its partners to ensure that more cost-effective measures can be identified and integrated into the program.
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