“Integrating Data to Evaluate a Global Health Grand Challenge” highlights the results of a multiyear and multi-disciplinary evaluation study for a Global Health Grand Challenge program, “Saving Lives at Birth.” Conducted by a multidisciplinary team from Duke University, the evaluation was led by the Duke Global Health Institute and the Global Health Innovation Center with contributions from the Sanford School of Public Policy and the Duke Center for International Development (DCID).
DCID Professors Fernando Fernholz and Siddharth Dixit contributed through the analysis of cost effectiveness of selected health innovations in different countries, a significant component of the mixed methods approach used in the evaluation study. They developed an openly shared Excel Based Cost Assessment Toolkit that was used to obtain data for the cost effectiveness analysis. The study aimed to help innovators as well as financing partners and agencies assess systematically the innovations and programs, identifying those that have a higher rate of impact (or success) in saving newborn babies and mothers in a sustainable way.
According to Fernholz, “We were part of a mixed team of professionals dedicated to improving the lives of people, especially newborns and mothers, in different parts of the world. This meant for us work and weekly coordination meetings over a period of three years as we helped shape the various aspects of evaluation of a complex project while embracing creativity and flexibility in a changing evaluation environment.”
He added, “We are very pleased to have contributed to the emerging field of program evaluation, especially in this area of newborn health interventions. We are happy to have an environment that encourages these stimulating intellectual challenges.”
“Integrating Data to Evaluate a Global Health Grand Challenge.” Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. March 28, 2022. https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjpe/article/view/71259
