HIV This Week

Ickovics JR. « Bundling » HIV prevention: Integrating services to promote synergistic gain. Prev Med 2007; 46 (3):222-5.

Bundling is defined as the aggregation of services to increase effectiveness (i.e., creating synergy of effort). Ickovics and colleagues aimed to review the utilization and potential benefits of bundling in its application to HIV prevention. A review of the literature was conducted to provide a broad perspective on the concept of bundling and specific examples of bundling in HIV prevention. Benefits, challenges, and directions were considered. To be effective, bundling must offer strategic advantage: greater value, less cost. It provides an opportunity to target multiple risk behaviours simultaneously for synergistic gain. Technological advances including rapid HIV tests permit non-invasive sampling in clinical and non-clinical settings. Bundling of HIV prevention provides an opportunity to reach high-risk persons who are asymptomatic and/or may not otherwise seek care by eliminating barriers to prevention. In conclusion, programmes that work must be implemented and innovative approaches considered to stem the AIDS epidemic; bundling provides one such opportunity to create an efficient paradigm targeting multiple risk behaviours simultaneously.

Editors’ note: Bundling goods or services in business is done to increase profitability with customers benefiting from integrated value-added services, one-stop shopping, and lower prices. In HIV prevention, what gets bundled together, how and how much are important to programme effectiveness-it is high time to create synergy and secondary gain through thoughtful bundling.