Page 41 - SAMRC Annual Report 2023-24

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Centre for Health Economics
and Decision Science

Research Unit

Unit director:
Prof. Karen Hofman

Prioritising responsive research PhD at Sheffield University. We currently have four
through impactful interventions professionals who are preparing their PhD proposals.
This demonstrates our commitment to developing
In a resource-constrained environment with shrinking our team's skills and investing in their professional
health budgets, deliberate prioritisation is a critical and growth.
effective resource allocation strategy. The PRICELESS
unit provides evidence to guide priority setting for Our unit coordinates and teaches the MPH Health
health in South Africa. By applying innovative priority- Economics Programme aimed at building capacity in
setting approaches, we have developed frameworks the scarce skill of health economics. The programme
that can be used for evidence-based resource consists of 13 blocks over two years and the completion
allocation decisions fairly and equitably under the of a research thesis in the third year. In 2023/24 we
proposed National Health Insurance (NHI). We aim to taught three specific health economics modules.
provide evidence of the best buys for health. The MPH Health Economics is oversubscribed with
ten times more applicants than available spaces.
Research in 2023/24 includes an economic analysis The team supervises and evaluates Masters and PhD
of whether a child support grant extended back theses in the fields of Health Economics and Public
through pregnancy would be cost-effective; costing Health.
of an intervention for early child development for deaf
children; costing of the treatment of prostate cancer; PRICELESS provides technical support to other sub-
costing providing ante-natal care to migrant women Saharan African countries in the field of law and
in Johannesburg. Our food policy work includes a policy evaluation as well as economic evaluation.
study with children understanding the marketing of This support involves collaborating closely with
ultra-processed foods on their journeys to school, policymakers and researchers to develop evidence-
using interactive art-based methods; and measuring based policies that promote health and equity in
the health and fiscal impact of including fruit juices their respective countries.
and ultra-processed foods in the Health Promotion
Levy (tax). Our legal team has been supporting work Science for creating a
on front-of-pack labels on ultra-processed foods and healthier society
the right to food. We have also been involved in work
looking at industry interference in policies relating to PRICELESS believes very strongly in the popular
diet, physical activity and COVID-19 in Johannesburg. dissemination of our work. We present our research
findings to government and allied bodies such as
Equitable capacity development NEDLAC and the National Planning Commission.
for empowering communities We also present our work directly to government
stakeholders such as the Department of Health and
In the past year, one staff member graduated from National Treasury. The unit works in partnership with
the MPH Health Economics Programme, and one was the Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) a community
granted a Wellcome Trust scholarship to study for a alliance that advocates for healthy diets and policies

SAMRC ANNUAL REPOR T 2023-24 39