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Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Education and Health Interventions in Developing Countries

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  • Patrick J. McEwan

Abstract

High-quality impact evaluations, including randomized experiments, are increasingly popular, but cannot always inform resource allocation decisions unless the costs of interventions are considered alongside their effects. Cost-effectiveness analysis is a straightforward but under-utilized tool for determining which, of two or more interventions provides a (non-pecuniary) unit of effect at least cost. This paper reviews the framework and methods of cost-effectiveness analysis,emphasizing education and health interventions, and discusses how the methods are applied in the literature.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick J. McEwan, 2011. "Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Education and Health Interventions in Developing Countries," SPD Working Papers 1102, Inter-American Development Bank, Office of Strategic Planning and Development Effectiveness (SPD).
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:spdwps:1102
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    8. Ebert, Cara & Flörchinger, Daniela & Frohnweiler, Sarah & Ihring, Stephanie & Rosadio Cayllahua, Karen Micaela, 2021. "Employment and income effects of skills development interventions: An impact evaluation of three employment promotion measures in Eastern Africa within GIZ's employment and skills for development prog," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 251877, March.
    9. Muhammad Tahir Khan Farooqi & Hafiz Muhammad Ather Khan & Ghulam Qambar, 2018. "Cost Effectiveness of Teachers Working at Government and Private Colleges," Global Social Sciences Review, Humanity Only, vol. 3(2), pages 345-357, June.
    10. Evans, David K. & Popova, Anna, 2016. "Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Development: Accounting for Local Costs and Noisy Impacts," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 262-276.
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    12. Sean Sylvia & Xiaochen Ma & Yaojiang Shi & Scott Rozelle & C. -Y. Cynthia Lin Lawell, 2018. "Ordeal Mechanisms, Information, and the Cost-Effectiveness of Subsidies: Evidence from Subsidized Eyeglasses in Rural China," Papers 1812.00383, arXiv.org.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Cost-Effectiveness; Cost-Benefit; Impact Evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • I25 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Economic Development

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