Table 1.

The key features of each allocation strategy

	Optimized geographically focused strategy	Formula‐based approach	Extreme geographical prioritization	Staggered implementation approach	Uniform approach
Outline of the strategy	Finds the optimal configuration of different intervention modalities across population groups and individual locations which maximizes the number of infections averted	Funds are divided between individual locations proportional to the number of PLHIV in each location. The intervention which can be implemented for the available funds in each location is chosen from the defined order of roll out of interventions (described in Section 2.4)	All interventions in the predefined order of roll out are provided to the locations in the highest prevalence category, before moving to progressively lower‐prevalence categories	Under this approach, even low‐prevalence areas receive a minimum package of intervention strategies, although intervention is consistently most intense in high‐prevalence areas (i.e. further along the predefined order of roll out)	National strategy i.e. all modelled locations must receive the same set of interventions and there is no tailoring of intervention choices across locations
Geographical unit of allocation	Individual location (each subnational unit can receive a different set of interventions)	Individual location (each subnational unit can receive a different set of interventions)	Locations are classified into categories based on HIV prevalence. Allocation is based on the prevalence category of the location	Locations are classified into categories based on HIV prevalence. Allocation is based on the prevalence category of the location	All locations must receive the same interventions (national strategy)
Order of roll out of intervention modalities by population group	Finds the optimal order of roll out of interventions across populations and locations (i.e. not predefined)	Uses a predefined order of intervention roll out of modalities by population group (described in Section 2.4)	Uses a predefined order of intervention roll out of modalities by population group (described in Section 2.4)	Uses a predefined order of intervention roll out of modalities by population group (described in Section 2.4)	Uses a predefined order of intervention roll out of modalities by population group (described in Section 2.4)

PLHIV, people living with HIV.