Economic evaluations of non-communicable disease interventions in developing countries: a critical review of the evidence base

Background: Demographic projections suggest a major increase in non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality over the next two decades in developing countries. In a climate of scarce resources, policy-makers need to know which interventions represent value for money. The prohibitive cost of performing multiple economic evaluations has generated interest in transferring the results of studies from one setting to another. This paper aims to bridge the gap in the current literature by critically evaluating the available published data on economic evaluations of NCD interventions in developing countries.

[1]  J. Frenk Disease control priorities in developing countries , 2006 .

[2]  T. Edejer,et al.  Generalized cost-effectiveness analysis for national-level priority-setting in the health sector , 2003, Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E.

[3]  D. Yach,et al.  Research gap in cardiovascular disease in developing countries , 2003, The Lancet.

[4]  D. Walker Cost and cost-effectiveness guidelines: which ones to use? , 2001, Health policy and planning.

[5]  J. Fox-Rushby,et al.  Economic evaluation of communicable disease interventions in developing countries: a critical review of the published literature. , 2000, Health economics.

[6]  J. Fiedler,et al.  Cost analysis as a vitamin A program design and evaluation tool: a case study of the Philippines. , 2000, Social science & medicine.

[7]  V. Wiseman,et al.  Burden of disease and priority setting. , 2000, Health economics.

[8]  J. Fox-Rushby,et al.  Economic evaluation of parasitic diseases: A critique of the internal and external validity of published studies , 2000, Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH.

[9]  Boheng Zhang,et al.  Combined α fetoprotein testing and ultrasonography as a screening test for primary liver cancer , 1999 .

[10]  A. Williams,et al.  Calculating the global burden of disease: time for a strategic reappraisal? , 1999, Health economics.

[11]  K. Steyn,et al.  Improving cost-effectiveness of hypertension management at a community health centre. , 1998, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[12]  M Hauswald,et al.  Designing a prehospital system for a developing country: estimated cost and benefits. , 1997, The American journal of emergency medicine.

[13]  B. O'brien,et al.  Cost-benefit analyses in the health-care literature: don't judge a study by its label. , 1997, Journal of clinical epidemiology.

[14]  B. Bloch An economic appraisal of a mobile cervical cytology screening service. , 1997, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[15]  G. Guyatt,et al.  Cost-effectiveness of inhaled beta-agonists v. oral salbutamol in asthma: a randomized double-blind cross-over study. , 1996, The National medical journal of India.

[16]  M. Phillips,et al.  The costs and effectiveness of three vitamin A interventions in Guatemala. , 1996, Social science & medicine.

[17]  M. Meyer,et al.  Is the use of recombinant human erythropoietin in anaemia of prematurity cost-effective? , 1996, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[18]  P. K. Mohan,et al.  Postal follow up of patients with epilepsy. , 1995, The National medical journal of India.

[19]  B. Perera Efficacy and cost effectiveness of inhaled steroids in asthma in a developing country. , 1995, Archives of disease in childhood.

[20]  R. Blignaut,et al.  Effectiveness of two school-based caries preventive programmes. , 1995, The Journal of the Dental Association of South Africa = Die Tydskrif van die Tandheelkundige Vereniging van Suid-Afrika.

[21]  L. Walters,et al.  Pharmaco-economic assessment of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors. , 1994, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[22]  M. Phillips,et al.  Family-Based Intervention for Schizophrenic Patients in China , 1994, British Journal of Psychiatry.

[23]  A Briggs,et al.  Uncertainty in the economic evaluation of health care technologies: the role of sensitivity analysis. , 1994, Health economics.

[24]  D. Jamison,et al.  Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries , 1993 .

[25]  D. Woodward,et al.  World Bank's world development report , 1993, The Lancet.

[26]  K. Gerard Cost-utility in practice: a policy maker's guide to the state of the art. , 1992, Health policy.

[27]  S. Wangsuphachart Low osmolar (non-ionic) contrast media versus high osmolar (ionic) contrast media in intravenous urography and enhanced computerized tomography: a cost-effectiveness analysis. , 1991, The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health.

[28]  R. Parris,et al.  Clinical and cost effectiveness of prophylactic parenteral penicillin in the care of simple wounds undergoing suture repair. , 1991, The West Indian medical journal.

[29]  A. Koch,et al.  The value and cost-effectiveness of a home-visiting programme for psychiatric patients. , 1990, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[30]  D. Eddy Setting priorities for cancer control programs. , 1986, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[31]  P. Disler,et al.  The cost effectiveness of the Philani Nutrition Day Centre in Crossroads squatter camp, Cape Town. , 1985, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[32]  Health systems: improving performance , 2000 .

[33]  C. Murray,et al.  Development of WHO Guidelines on Generalised Cost-Effectiveness Analysis , 1999 .

[34]  R. Sutter,et al.  Using cost-effectiveness analysis to evaluate targeting strategies: the case of vitamin A supplementation. , 1997, Health policy and planning.

[35]  A. Ashworth,et al.  Cost-effective treatment for severely malnourished children: what is the best approach? , 1997, Health policy and planning.

[36]  M. Veller,et al.  The cost and benefit of prophylaxis against deep-vein thrombosis in elective hip replacement , 1997 .

[37]  J. Wambani Halothane consumption under varying breathing circuit designs. , 1996, East African medical journal.

[38]  E. Marseille Cost-effectiveness of cataract surgery in a public health eye care programme in Nepal. , 1996, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[39]  R. N. Grosse,et al.  Impact of nutrition education and mega-dose vitamin A supplementation on the health of children in Nepal. , 1996, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[40]  J. Aluoch The presence of sickle cells in the peripheral blood film. Specificity and sensitivity of diagnosis of homozygous sickle cell disease in Kenya. , 1995, Tropical and geographical medicine.

[41]  H Saxenian,et al.  Design, content and financing of an essential national package of health services. , 1994, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[42]  R. Lozano,et al.  The epidemiologic transition and health priorities. , 1993 .

[43]  M. Mengistu,et al.  Inpatient or outpatient initiation of insulin therapy. Experience and cost effective analysis in a suboptimal clinical setting. , 1991, Tropical and geographical medicine.

[44]  K. Thimasarn,et al.  Economic analysis of several types of malaria clinics in Thailand. , 1991, Bulletin of the World Health Organization.

[45]  A. Feksi,et al.  Determining the prevalence of epilepsy in the semi-urban population of Nakuru, Kenya, comparing two independent methods not apparently used before in epilepsy studies. , 1988, Neuroepidemiology.