• Nicolai Lohse, Elliot Marseille, and James G Kahn.
• Global Health Partnerships, Novo Nordisk A/S, Bagsværd, Denmark. nilh@novonordisk.com
• Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2011 Nov 1; 115 Suppl 1: S20-5.

AbstractGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasingly recognized as an opportunity for early prevention of diabetes and other diseases over the lifespan, and may be responsible for up to 30% of cases of type 2 diabetes. A newly developed mathematical model (the GDModel) provides provisional estimates of the cost and health impact of various GDM screening and management choices, and calculates averted disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). The model was piloted in 5 different healthcare facilities in India and Israel. Universal screening of pregnant women followed by postpartum lifestyle management yielded net savings of US$78 per woman with GDM in India and US$1945 per woman in Israel. The estimated DALYs averted were 2.33 in India and 3.10 in Israel. With lower GDM prevalence, intervention efficacy, and type 2 diabetes incidence, the intervention had a net cost in India, with a cost per DALY averted of US$11.32. This was far below the WHO definition of "very cost-effective," set at annual GDP per capita. The intervention in Israel remained cost-saving. GDM screening and postpartum lifestyle management are either cost-saving or have a net cost but an attractive cost-effectiveness ratio. Some input values are currently being refined. Nevertheless, the current findings of cost-savings or favorable cost-effectiveness are robust to a wide range of plausible input values, including highly unfavorable values. The GDModel will be further developed into a user-friendly tool that can guide policy-makers on decisions regarding GDM screening strategies and guidelines.Copyright © 2011 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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