Page 44 - SAMRC AnnualReport 2025-26

Centre for Health Economics
and Decision Science

Research Unit

UNIT DIRECTOR:
Dr Darshini Govindasamy
Darshini.govindasamy@wits.ac.za

Overview of the Research Unit Key Milestones and Achievements

PRICELESS SA (Priority Cost-Effective Lessons for During the 2025/2026 financial year, PRICELESS
Systems Strengthening in South Africa) is the SAMRC/ SA advanced research aimed at strengthening
Wits Centre for Health Economics and Decision evidence-based health policy, improving population
Science, based within the School of Public Health health, and supporting equitable health system
at the University of the Witwatersrand. Founded financing in South Africa.
in 2009 and recognised as an Extramural Research
Unit of the SAMRC in 2019. The Centre is a leading A major priority has been the continued evaluation
research-to-policy institute dedicated to enhancing of the Health Promotion Levy (HPL) on sugar-
public health decision-making through rigorous sweetened beverages. As the levy remains below
health economics and policy-related research. the World Health Organization’s recommended 20%
level and faces ongoing threats of repeal, PRICELESS
PRICELESS SA supports South Africa’s progress SA is generating evidence on its impact on sugar
towards universal health coverage by generating consumption, obesity, equity, employment, and
evidence, tools, and methodologies that enable
policymakers to make equitable, efficient, and
transparent decisions on health investments. Its work
focuses on the commercial determinants of health,
non-communicable disease prevention, healthy food
access, and healthcare financing.
The Centre combines expertise in health economics,
decision science, law, epidemiology, and social
sciences to evaluate the cost-effectiveness,
affordability, and social value of health interventions.
It also plays an important role in public engagement
by working with government, civil society, the media,
and communities to strengthen understanding of
health trade-offs and priority-setting processes.
As a regional leader in teaching and capacity
development, PRICELESS SA offers postgraduate
training, short courses, and policy-focused PRICELESS SA supports South Africa’s
workshops in health economics and priority setting. progress towards universal health coverage
Through its research-to-policy approach, the Centre by generating evidence, tools, and
seeks to ensure that limited health resources are methodologies that enable policymakers to
allocated in ways that maximise health gains, make equitable, efficient, and transparent
promote equity, and improve population wellbeing decisions on health investments.
across South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.

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