Resources Repository
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ArticlePublication 2022Vaccinations versus Lockdowns to Prevent COVID-19 Mortality
This analysis estimated the costs associated with preventing Covid-19 deaths by vaccinations versus lockdowns. Publicly …
This analysis estimated the costs associated with preventing Covid-19 deaths by vaccinations versus lockdowns. Publicly available datasets from the Israeli Ministry of Health were used to model the parameters of the pandemic in Israel. The Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker was used for quantitative data on government policies. Data on the Israeli economy were taken from the Central Bureau of Statistics. The models demonstrate that the first lockdown prevented 1022 COVID-19 deaths at the cost…
Decision Theory | Policy/Regulation | State-Transition | Costing Methods | Health Outcomes | Decision Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Middle East & North Africa -
ArticlePublication 2023Benefits and Costs of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
Written mid-pandemic, this article evaluates the direct costs and health benefits of requiring COVID-19 vaccinations …
Written mid-pandemic, this article evaluates the direct costs and health benefits of requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for U.S. federal employees and healthcare and private sector workers. These mandates were controversial and some were halted by litigation. If they had been implemented as intended, the net benefits would depend on the course of the pandemic. If a more transmissible variant (such as Omicron) emerges, the net benefits may be large. If the pandemic instead fades, the benefits…
Policy/Regulation | State-Transition | Mathematical Models | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Business/Industry | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | North America -
ArticlePublication 2022Emerging Therapies for COVID-19: The Value of Information From More Clinical Trials
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated time-sensitive policy and implementation decisions regarding new therapies in the face …
The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated time-sensitive policy and implementation decisions regarding new therapies in the face of uncertainty. This study aimed to quantify consequences of approving therapies or pursuing further research. The authors used a cohort state-transition model for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 to estimate quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and costs associated with multiple drug regimens and usual care. For each they assessed immediate approval, use only in research, emergency use authorization or reject. They conducted cost-effectiveness…
Policy/Regulation | State-Transition | Value of Information | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Economics/Finance | North America | Europe -
ArticlePublication 2021Rational Policymaking during a Pandemic
Policymaking during a pandemic can be extremely challenging. As COVID-19 is a new disease and …
Policymaking during a pandemic can be extremely challenging. As COVID-19 is a new disease and its global impacts are unprecedented, decisions are taken in a highly uncertain, complex, and rapidly changing environment. In such a context, in which human lives and the economy are at stake, the authors argue that using ideas and constructs from modern decision theory, even informally, will make policymaking a more responsible and transparent process.
Decision Theory | Policy/Regulation | Priority Setting/Ethics | Infectious Diseases | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Global -
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…
Policy/Regulation | Technology Assessment | Probability/Bayes | Test Performance | Infectious Diseases | Health Systems | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Global | North America -
ArticlePublication 2017Modeled Health Benefits of a SSB Tax across Different Socioeconomic Groups in Australia
This analysis assessed the potential cost-effectiveness, health gains, and financial impacts of a 20% sugar-sweetened …
This analysis assessed the potential cost-effectiveness, health gains, and financial impacts of a 20% sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax for Australia. Australia-specific price elasticities were used to predict decreases in SSB consumption for each socio-economic quintile. Changes in body mass index (BMI) were based on SSB consumption, BMI from the Australian Health Survey, and energy balance equations. Markov cohort models were used to estimate the health-adjusted life years (HALYs) gained, healthcare costs saved, and out-of-pocket costs…
Policy/Regulation | State-Transition | Mathematical Models | Chronic Disease/Risk | Economics/Finance | Food/Agriculture | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Oceania -
BookPublication 2019Non-Communicable Disease Prevention: Best Buys, Wasted Buys, Contestable Buys
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, and the majority of these …
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, and the majority of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This book provides practical guidelines and lessons learned through real-world case studies. It is intended to be informative to NCD program managers, policy officers and decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries, who need to comparatively assess interventions for the prevention and control of NCDs.The authors emphasize the importance of context in NCD control…
Policy/Regulation | Technology Assessment | Priority Setting/Ethics | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Infectious Diseases | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health Systems | Health/Medicine | Global -
ArticlePublication 2018Cost-Effectiveness of Strategies to Prevent Road Traffic Injuries in Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia: New Results from WHO-CHOICE
The authors applied a generalized cost-effectiveness analysis (GCEA) approach, applying a null reference case, in …
The authors applied a generalized cost-effectiveness analysis (GCEA) approach, applying a null reference case, in which the effects of currently implemented interventions were subtracted from current rates of burden, in order to identify the most efficient package of interventions that could be applied to Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs). They used a population model to estimate costs and effectiveness of interventions over a 100 year time frame in eastern sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. All heath…
Policy/Regulation | State-Transition | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Injuries/Accidents | Culture/Society | Science/Technology | Sub-Saharan Africa | Asia & Pacific -
ReportPublication 2018Understanding the Economics of Microbial Threats: Proceedings of a Workshop
This report follows a June 2018, Forum on Microbial Threats that was held at the …
This report follows a June 2018, Forum on Microbial Threats that was held at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. This was a 1.5-day public workshop with the goal being an assessment of the current understanding of the interaction of infectious disease threats and economic activity in order to suggest future areas of research. This workshop built on prior work of the Forum and aimed to build more mutual understanding between those in…
Policy/Regulation | Technology Assessment | Health Outcomes | Evidence Synthesis | Infectious Diseases | Global Governance | Clinical Care | Business/Industry | Economics/Finance | Health/Medicine | Global