Health Economic Evaluation Training Workshop
Authors: Khoba Barbra Loyce, Aujo Deborah, Lilian Bulage and Paul Edward Okello
From the 13th to the 17th of July 2026, the Uganda National Institute of Public Health’s (UNIPH) Data Impact Program hosted a policy brief training workshop to equip health workers with technical skills required for Health Economics Evaluation of policy briefs.
The workshop targeted a multidisciplinary group of trainees, including Advanced FETP Fellows (Cohort 2025), LLP Fellows (Cohort 2025), Health Informatics Fellows (Cohort 2025), and a PHD Fellow from the Linda Familia Project (place hashtag).
A policy brief is a short document that summarizes evidence and recommends a policy action to decision-makers in government, to solve a public health problem. Health economics evaluation of a policy brief means asking:
“If we implement the recommendations in this policy brief, will we get good value for the money and resources we spend?”
It is not just about whether a policy works—it is also about whether it is worth the cost.
Simple explanation
Imagine the Ministry of Health has a policy brief recommending that all district hospitals use a new rapid diagnostic test for tuberculosis.
A health economist would ask:
- How much will it cost to buy the tests?
- Will the tests find more TB cases?
- Will they reduce deaths?
- Will they reduce future treatment costs?
- Are the health benefits worth the money spent?
If the answer is yes, then the policy is considered cost-effective.
What is evaluated?
Health economics usually evaluates four main things:
| Question | Simple meaning |
| Costs | How much money is needed? |
| Benefits | What health improvements will occur? |
| Efficiency | Are we getting good value for the money? |
| Affordability | Can the government actually pay for it? |
Questions policymakers ask
When reviewing a policy brief, decision-makers often ask:
- Does the policy improve people’s health?
- How much will it cost?
- Is it better than the current approach?
- Can Uganda afford it?
- Will it save money in the future?
- Is it a good use of limited health resources?
In one sentence
Health economics evaluation of a policy brief is the process of assessing whether the policy’s health benefits justify the costs, so that limited healthcare resources are used in the most efficient and affordable way.
This type of evaluation is particularly important in countries with limited healthcare budgets, where every investment should aim to achieve the greatest possible improvement in population health.
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