Decision Science Unit

Health policymakers are often concerned with broader development goals and strategies aimed at improving health outcomes (e.g., reducing mortality and disability), ensuring equitable access to quality health services and building strong health systems. Therefore, during strategic planning, they typically ask critical questions such as: What are the major public health problems in the country? What interventions are available and needed to address these major problems and improve health outcomes? Which interventions are more effective, safe and implementable in the country’s context (i.e., effectiveness, ethical implications, institutional capacity)? Which segments of the population are most affected? What resources are required and available (i.e., budget, infrastructure, supply, manpower)? How can these services be financed (i.e., public financing)? Are services affordable (i.e., people’s purchasing ability, insurance)?

Answering these complex questions requires evidence from comprehensive and advanced research methods to make informed decisions that balance health needs, institutional capacities and financial resources. Most evidence accessible to policymakers in Ethiopia primarily focus on disease burden and intervention effectiveness from epidemiological, clinical, monitoring, and evaluation studies. However, evidence related to efficiency of interventions, equity of service delivery and optimal approaches to resource allocation is scarce due to limited data and technical capacity.

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

To support the health sector’s health transformation agenda and its commitment to evidence-based policymaking in Ethiopia, the National Data Management Center for Health (NDMC) has established the Decision Science Unit (DSU) which is tasked with:

Developing advanced quantitative methods from the various disciplines of decision science, health system modeling, and health economics, to answer complex policy questions.
Applying cutting-edge decision science analytics that leverage multiple large data
sources (e.g., routine health information systems, census, survey, surveillance data, and geospatial information systems).
Generating research outputs and evidence focused on value for money (e.g., cost effectiveness, financial risk protection) of health interventions and benefit packages, addressing health disparities, and tracking progress toward key targets in Ethiopia (e.g., Health Sector Transformation Plan’s and Sustainable Development Goals).
Designing efficient and equitable pathways to support the optimization of health interventions and services, and the optimal allocation of resources toward universal health coverage.
Building national capacity on decision science analytics for evidence-based policymaking and priority setting in the Ethiopian health sector.
Establishing an Ethiopian cost-effectiveness analysis database that archives and manages health economics and health financing data sources, including cost effectiveness analysis studies, national health accounts, project and program budgets, essential benefit package designs, and health technology assessments.