To assess the economic impact of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) antibody screening among potential immigrants on Canada's health care system we estimated the costs and benefits of such screening among the 160 135 immigrants who entered Canada in 1988 using the in-hospital costs of treating AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) over the 10 years after immigration. This economic model was based on current international HIV seroprevalence data, Canadian immigration statistics and estimates of disease progression. Between 343 and 862 of the immigrants were estimated to have been HIV seropositive; with the use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the Western blot technique 310 to 780 of them would have been correctly identified as being seropositive, and 33 to 82 would have been incorrectly classified as being seronegative. Another 16 would have been falsely classified as being seropositive. There would have been 151 to 379 cases of AIDS from 1988 to 1998 among the immigrants identified as being HIV-positive. The estimated total cost of screening would have been $3.3 to $3.4 million. The in-hospital costs of treating HIV-infected immigrants in whom AIDS developed between 1989 and 1998 would have been $5.0 and $17.1 million. Accordingly, screening would have saved $1.7 to $13.7 million over the 10 years after immigration. However, we do not advocate screening on the basis of economic analysis alone and acknowledge that any policy regarding such screening must also incorporate social, legal and ethical considerations.

[No Keywords available]

immigrant HIV Seroprevalence Cost benefit analysis Human immunodeficiency virus infection mass screening economics human ethics economic aspect social aspect priority journal Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome HIV Seropositivity Human immunodeficiency virus prevalence screening HIV Antibodies antibody detection Human immunodeficiency virus antibody male Canada female enzyme linked immunosorbent assay Conference Paper Article Support, Non-U.S. Gov't prediction and forecasting migration Predictive Value of Tests Emigration and Immigration Delivery of Health Care cost-benefit analysis acquired immune deficiency syndrome Western blotting Blotting, Western Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay health care delivery