From July 7-11, 2017, over 1,500 health economists and public health practitioners gathered in Boston to discuss new ideas for the economics of global health systems. Topics discussed included latest methods and debates on cost effectiveness analysis, healthcare financing, economic evaluation, and implications for health policy.
As part of a panel session on employment, education, and health, SPRING Research and Evaluation Advisor Amanda Pomeroy-Stevens presented SPRING’s Pathways to Better Nutrition case studies, which took a new approach to documenting the influence of multi-sectoral national nutrition policies on nutrition financing. The studies were conducted prospectively in Nepal and Uganda over the course of two years, giving the team insights into how policies worked, were prioritized and funded, and through which mechanisms they had the most influence.
Pomeroy-Stevens shared details from the studies related specifically to how each country’s political commitments could be converted into dollars, rupees, or shillings. The conclusions and recommendations drew on learning from both countries and focused on concrete actions that can make an impact on creating sustainable increases in financing for nutrition. The discussion aligned with other conversations and themes throughout the day.