Does it work? Is it worth it? : evaluating the costs and benefits of nutritional interventions

This chapter attempts to demonstrate how economic evaluation can help maximize the cost-effectiveness of nutritional interventions. The main types of economic evaluation are outlined and the input parameters necessary to carry them out are described. The cost-effectiveness plane presented is as a way to synthesize all the information and to decide whether an intervention is worth the money spent on it. The importance and strength of this approach are discussed, along with its limitations. The process of economic evaluation can contribute substantially to the design and identification of cost-effective interventions and thus help achieve the maximum reduction of malnutrition with the limited funds available. The cost-effectiveness framework developed in health economist is a useful tool to explore the various aspects affecting the effectiveness of the intervention in a real-world situation. It also takes account of the different cost dimensions affecting the health and wellbeing of the individuals as well as overall economic development