Economic Evaluation of COVID-19 ODA Interventions with Equity in Focus: A Methodological Reflection

Purpose: This study examines the integration of equity into economic evaluations of ODA interventions for COVID-19 response, aiming to identify essential equity factors and provide methodological insights. Originality: This research addresses a gap in economic evaluations of ODA projects for COVID-19 by emphasizing equity considerations, offering theoretical and policy insights for balanced and effective evaluations. Methodology: We reviewed existing economic evaluation methodologies, focusing on traditional ODA assessments and their lack of equity considerations. Thematic analysis of literature and COVID-19 evaluation documents from various agencies was conducted, alongside an in-depth examination of equity-integrated economic evaluations, such as Cost-Effectiveness Analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis. Result: The study reveals that health disparities worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the urgent need to incorporate equity into economic evaluations of health interventions. Through case studies using methodologies like Extended Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (ECEA) and Distributional Cost- Effectiveness Analysis (DCEA), the research demonstrates how these frameworks can uncover variations in health outcomes across demographic groups by considering factors such as socioeconomic status, age, and geographic location. Conclusions and Implication: Incorporating equity into economic evaluations is essential for assessing the distributive impacts of COVID-19 ODA interventions. This study underscores the need for advanced methodologies, such as ECEA, DCEA, and equity-weighted CBA, to improve understanding of health improvements and promote equitable resource allocation, contributing to public health equity.