Assessing the impact of a segment-targeted mobilization model supported by a digital VMMC platform on uptake of VMMC services in Zambia

Genesis Analytics, in partnership with the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), is generating critical cost and operational insights to inform smarter, more effective HIV prevention interventions. 

This work focuses on evaluating the cost implications of the NEXUS intervention—a novel mobile application designed to enhance demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) through digital segmentation of target populations and tailored messaging.

While traditional, paper-based mobilisation has long been standard practice, NEXUS introduces a more dynamic approach to reaching men through personalised digital engagement. We assess the financial costs of demand creation and social marketing using this platform, comparing start-up and recurrent costs at intervention sites with those at control sites using conventional approaches.

Our collaborative, mixed-method costing approach combines top-down and time-driven activity-based costing (TD-ABC), drawing from a wide range of data sources including financial records, staff time logs, observation data, and app interaction logs. This methodology provides robust comparative cost and service delivery insights and highlights opportunities to improve efficiency.

Beyond cost analysis, we examine key policy-relevant questions: What are the budget implications of national scale-up? Are current community mobiliser remuneration models adequate, and how might these be adjusted?

Through this work, Genesis brings deep technical expertise in health economics to support evidence-informed decision-making and strengthen HIV prevention investments in Zambia.