Modelling the potential cost-effectiveness of food-based programs to reduce malnutrition
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier/ ScienceDirect
Abstract
Poor quality diets contribute to malnutrition globally, but evidence is weak on the cost-effectiveness of food-
based interventions that shift diets. This study assessed 11 candidate interventions developed through Delphi
techniques to improve diets in India, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. A Markov simulation model incorporated time,
individual-level, nutrition, and policy parameters to estimate health impacts and cost-effectiveness for reducing
stunting, anaemia, diarrhea, and mortality in preschool children. At an assumed 80% coverage, interventions
considered would potentially save between 0⋅16 and 3⋅20 years of life per child. The average cost-effectiveness
ratio ranged from US$9 to US$2000 per life year saved. This approach, linking expert knowledge, known costs,
and modelling, offers potential for estimating cost-effective investments for better informed policy choice where
empirical evidence is limited.
Description
Global Food Security 29 (2021) 100550
Keywords
Nutrition, Health, Food-based interventions, Diets, Cost-effectiveness