In 2025, the article “Economic evaluations of scaling up strategies of evidence-based health interventions: a systematic review” was published. Several members of our unit are part of the team that wrote it.
- Adissa Bankolé
- Blanchard Conombo
- France Légaré
- Maude Laberge
Bankolé, A., Conombo, B., Légaré, F., & Laberge, M. (2024). Economic evaluations of scaling up strategies of evidence-based health interventions: a systematic review. Implementation Science, 19, Article 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-021-01137-9 [implementa…entral.com]
Context
Scaling aims to extend the benefits of evidence-based health interventions to a larger population, with the expectation of achieving economies of scale. However, the costs associated with scaling remain poorly documented. This systematic review sought to identify studies on the economic evaluations of scaling, their characteristics, and the methods used.
Method
Relevant studies were identified through searches in eight scientific databases and grey literature. Data were extracted on the characteristics of the interventions, scaling strategies, and economic evaluation methods used.
Results
Thirteen studies were selected from 8,936 screened. Of these, ten focused on cost-effectiveness analysis and three on cost analysis. The evaluated interventions addressed infectious diseases, mental health, and colorectal cancer, in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. All studies reported direct costs (e.g., training health professionals) and indirect costs (e.g., infrastructure expenses). Four studies were rated as high quality, eight as moderate, and one as low quality.
Conclusion
The growing interest in scaling evidence-based health interventions highlights the urgent need to better document associated costs, both in low- and middle-income countries and in high-income settings. Greater methodological rigor is needed to improve the quality of economic evaluations in this field.