Resources Repository
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ReviewPublication 2013Valuing the Economic Benefits of Complex Interventions
This is a review of economic evaluations of complex health interventions. Complex interventions, involving interlinked …
This is a review of economic evaluations of complex health interventions. Complex interventions, involving interlinked packages of care, challenge the application of current methods of economic evaluation that focus on measuring only health gain. The authors find that complex interventions may be problematic on two levels. First, the complexity means the intervention may not fit into one of the current appraisal systems, and/or second, maximizing health is not the only objective. This paper discusses the…
Government/Law | Science/Technology | Health Systems | Preferences/Values | Decision Analysis | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Europe -
ReviewPublication 2022Significance of Advanced COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing in Pandemic Control Measures
Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has mounted significant …
Over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has mounted significant efforts to combat the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 virus. Despite substantial progress in vaccines and treatments, leading to lower hospitalization and death rates, the virus has continued to evolve, primarily through mutations. From the onset, diagnostic tests have been crucial in identifying and controlling the virus spread. The scientific world has pioneered various diagnostic techniques, including nucleic acid, antigen, and antibody-based…
Science/Technology | Health Systems | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReviewPublication 2022Diagnostics for COVID-19: Moving from Pandemic Response to Control
Diagnostics are essential in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, with three primary methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 …
Diagnostics are essential in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, with three primary methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 infections. Each test type remains vital as we shift from responding to controlling the pandemic. Molecular tests, like PCR, are highly precise in identifying viral RNA and are endorsed by the WHO for confirming cases and guiding public health actions. Antigen rapid tests spot viral proteins and, while less accurate than molecular tests, are quicker, more affordable, simpler, and can…
Science/Technology | Health Systems | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Clinical Care | Health/Medicine -
ArticlePublication 2020Infectious Disease Pandemic Planning and Response: Incorporating Decision Analysis
During a pandemic, decisions must be made under rapidly changing, uncertain conditions. Despite advances in …
During a pandemic, decisions must be made under rapidly changing, uncertain conditions. Despite advances in analytical methods for gaining early situational awareness (i.e., of a disease’s transmissibility and severity) and for predicting the likely effectiveness of interventions, a major gap exists globally in terms of integrating this information in policy documents. The authors argue that mathematical and statistical models are important tools for pandemic planning and response. Once an outbreak of pandemic potential has been…
Government/Law | Health Systems | Mathematical Models | Decision Analysis | Health/Medicine | Global -
ReviewPublication 2021Prevalence of Health Misinformation on Social Media: Systematic Review
This systematic review aimed to identify the main health misinformation topics and their prevalence on …
This systematic review aimed to identify the main health misinformation topics and their prevalence on different social media platforms, with focus on methodological quality and the diverse solutions that are being implemented to address this public health concern. The authors defined health misinformation as a health-related claim that is based on anecdotal evidence, false, or misleading owing to the lack of existing scientific knowledge. They included (1) articles that focused on health misinformation in social…
Science/Technology | Health Systems | Social Determinants | Culture/Society | Health/Medicine | North America -
EditorialPublication 2020Waiting for Certainty on COVID-19 Antibody Tests — At What Cost?
This perspective anticipates the availability of serologic antibody testing and considers its potential usefulness in mitigation …
This perspective anticipates the availability of serologic antibody testing and considers its potential usefulness in mitigation policy to reduce COVID-19 transmission. For example: Could we screen for serologic antibodies as a proxy for possible immunity and identify people who could return to the workplace with less severe mitigation measures? The authors acknowledge the uncertainties raised by many policy actors, including the WHO, such as, "Do antibodies confer immunity and, if so, for how long? How accurate is…
Government/Law | Health Systems | Probability/Bayes | Test Performance | Technology Assessment | Infectious Diseases | Policy/Regulation | Health/Medicine | Global | North America -
DataPublication 2019HDR Country Profile: Afghanistan
This country profile on Afghanistan is published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Each …
This country profile on Afghanistan is published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Each online country profile also links to a downloadable data table and a briefing note for its country. The Human Development Report Office releases data each year, including the Human Development Index (HDI), the Inequality-Adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), the Gender Development Index (GDI), the Gender Inequality Index (GII), and the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). These indices reflect the UNDP human…
Science/Technology | Health Systems | Health Outcomes | Evidence Synthesis | Social Determinants | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Education/Labor | Health/Medicine | Global | Asia & Pacific -
ReportPublication 2018Human Development Indices and Indicators: 2018 Statistical Update
This report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents the latest reporting on key …
This report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents the latest reporting on key human development indices and statistics. It provides a snapshot of current conditions and long-term trends and culminates with a comprehensive statistical annex of human development composite indices and indicators across several dimensions (e.g., health, education, poverty, and inequality). The publication emphasizes that while people are living longer and are more educated than ever before, this may not automatically translate to…
Science/Technology | Health Systems | Health Outcomes | Evidence Synthesis | Social Determinants | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Education/Labor | Health/Medicine | Global -
ReportPublication 2019Human Development Report 2019: Beyond Income, Beyond Averages, Beyond Today
This 2019 Human Development Report, published annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), explores …
This 2019 Human Development Report, published annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), explores the contemporary nature of inequalities in human development. Additional resources include digital versions and translations of the Report and the overview in more than 10 languages, an interactive web version of the Report, a set of background papers and think pieces commissioned for the Report, interactive data visualizations and databases of human development indicators, full explanations of the sources and…
Science/Technology | Health Systems | Health Outcomes | Evidence Synthesis | Social Determinants | Climate/Environment | Economics/Finance | Education/Labor | Health/Medicine | Global