1. Cost Effectiveness of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyonjana (PMBJP) and its impact on Financial Risk Protection in India
Project Background:
“Jan Aushadhi” is the novel project launched by Government of India in the year 2008 for the noble cause – Quality Medicines at Affordable Prices for All. The Campaign was undertaken through sale of generic medicines through exclusive outlets namely “Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Kendra” (PMJAK) in various districts of the country. Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) is the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
Project Objectives:
- To assess the coverage of PMBJP in India.
- To assess the impact of PMBJP on the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE), catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) and impoverishment rate (IR) attributed to medicines.
- To assess the cost (from payer’s/ government’s perspective) of implementing PMBJP in India.
- To assess the incremental cost of per unit reduction in the indicators of financial risk protection (out of pocket expenditure, catastrophic health expenditure, impoverishment rate) because of implementing Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) as compared to baseline in India.
- To assess the incremental cost per quality adjusted life year gained as a result of using branded medicines as compared to generic drugs (biosimilars in case of cancers) in the treatment regimens of the selected diseases.
PI: Prof Sandra Albert, Director and Professor, IIPH, Shillong.
Funding Agencies: Department of Health Research (DHR) under Regional Resource Hub (RRH) for Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn).
Year: 2008
2. Thiamine deficiency and cost effectiveness analysis of thiamine
Project Background:
Thiamine (vitamin B1) plays an important role in the synthesis of neurotransmitters and nucleic acid. Humans are dependent on dietary thiamine intake, as they cannot synthesize it. Deficiency of thiamine results to disorders such as beriberi (heart failure), and neurological disorders (dry beriberi). Consumption of polished rice is associated with thiamine deficiency, which is further worsened by certain cultural-dietary practices such as consumption of betel nut, fermented fish, raw river fish, ferns etc. which are all common in the North East Region (NER) of India.
Project Objectives:
To determine the incremental cost effectiveness of thiamine supplementation (for 2, 4 and 6 months) as compared to standard of care among post-partum women to prevent infantile beriberi from the date of delivery.
PI: Prof Sandra Albert, Director and Professor, IIPH, Shillong .
Funding Agencies: Department of Health Research (DHR) under Regional Resource Hub (RRH) for Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn).
3. Assessment of PMJAY in Manipur
Project Background:
In order to achieve the Universal Health Coverage, the Government of India is focused on the reduction of catastrophic health expenditure and ensuring access to essential and affordable healthcare services. The costing study of MN-PMJAY is conducted by Indian Institute of Public Health-Shillong (IIPHS) in collaboration with the State Health Agency (SHA), Govt. of Manipur under the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. The study aims to assess the economic cost and rationalization of Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY)-Health benefit packages (HBP’s) in the public and private hospitals of Manipur.
Project Objectives:
- To assess costing of the existing packages based on burden of disease in state
- Improvement in Fraud Detection mechanism
- To assess appropriateness of packages being offered in the package by rationalization
- To make recommendations for expansions of health benefit packages (HBP) while also ensuring financial sustainability
Propose mechanisms to check selective provision of services by the private providers (avoidance of responsibility/ cream skimming)
PI: Prof Sandra Albert, Director and Professor, IIPH, Shillong
Funding Agencies: Department of Health Research (DHR) under Regional Resource Hub (RRH) for Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn).
Year: 2020
4. Cost effectiveness of Therapeutic Hypothermia using Phase Changing Material (Mira Cradle) to reduce Mortality and Neuro-developmental morbidity in Moderate and severe Hypoxia Ischaemic encephalopathy
Project Background:
Hypoxia Ischaemic Encephalopathy occurs in about 1 – 2 per 1000 live births in developed countries and about 14 per 1000 live births in India. Phase changing material is one of the alternative low cost technologies used for cooling asphyxiated neonates. Studies have shown that inducing therapeutic hypothermia using PCM has a neuroprotective effect in new-borns with moderate HIE in neonatal units.
Project Aim:
The study aims to the perform cost-effectiveness analysis on Mira cradle device for cooling infants with HIE and the different costs related to the treatment of HIE.
PI: Prof Sandra Albert, Director and Professor, IIPH, Shillong
Funding Agencies: Department of Health Research (DHR) under Regional Resource Hub (RRH) for Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn).
5. Estimation of Cost-effectiveness Threshold (CET) for India
Project Background:
A cost-effectiveness threshold (CET) is defined as a measure of cost per unit health outcomes which are forgone, i.e., it expresses the opportunity cost of displacing any existing service/program/health technology to fund the intervention under evaluation. However, there lies an uncertainty around the estimate of CET that should be used to judge the interventions that are under evaluation. India is still striving to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) for which increase in resource allocation to health is imperative. In such a scenario, where the budget for health is in its expanding phase, valuation of societal preferences or the demand-side approach may be the preferred approach for estimation of CET. Contrary to this, for the countries which have already achieved the set standards of providing comprehensive care to all, valuation of the health opportunity cost or the supply-side approach appears to be a more relevant approach. The availability of CET is thus pivotal to precisely use the evidence generated by economic evaluations.
Project Aim:
To elicit the value of the willingness to pay (WTP) for a quality-adjusted life year (QALY) to estimate the value of CET for India.
PI: Prof Sandra Albert, Director and Professor, IIPHS.
Funding Agencies: Department of Health Research (DHR) under Regional Resource Hub (RRH) for Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn).