INVESTING IN GLOBAL HEALTH AND HUMAN CAPITAL

Current projects

Development of an Investment Case for Adolescent Wellbeing 2023-2024
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Peter Sheehan, Kim Sweeny, John Symons, Neelam Maharaj, Margarita Kumnick (VISES)
Funded by: Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) (sponsored by the WHO)
Description: Development of an investment case for adolescent wellbeing to contribute to the advocacy program conducted by the PMNCH. The project includes a comprehensive review of existing knowledge on the returns to investment in adolescent well-being, the strengthening of existing models and creation of new models updating data on intervention costs and effectiveness, and the development of toolkits at both the global and national level to allow the models to be used by planners and analysts to produce their own benefit-cost estimates of investing in adolescent health.

An interim report was presented at the Global Forum for Adolescents held on 11–12 October 2023, which brought together youth and adolescents, advocates and global decision-makers.The final report will be available later in 2023.

Developing a Polio Transition Investment Case for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region 2023
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, John Symons, Kim Sweeny, Peter Sheehan, Margarita Kumnick (VISES),
Funded by: WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean
Description: The study will investigate investment in sustaining polio essential functions, and integrating them in a broader program to strengthen disease surveillance, immunization and outbreak, detection, preparedness and response capacities using valuable polio assets and expertise.

An Investment Case for Eye Health and Restoring Women's Sight 2020-2023
Investigators: Kim Sweeny (VISES), Daniel Ooi (VU), Bruce Rasmussen (VISES)
Funded by: Fred Hollows Foundation
Description: The first phase of the project has involved developing an epidemiological and economic model of interventions to estimate the return on investment from programs to improve visual impairment due to cataracts and refractive error. The second phase involves interviewing women in three countries about their experiences of the impact of cataract surgery, particularly on caring relationships with families and communities. Interviews have been done in Laos with others planned for Kenya and Pakistan.

Recent projects

Syria Education and Development Investment Case [SEDIC] Technical Note: Economic, social and psychological costs and risks resulting from ‘not-investing in education systems in the Syrian Arab Republic 2020-2022
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Peter Sheehan, John Symons, Neelam Maharaj (VISES)
Funded by: UNICEF Syria
Description: This research will support the development of an investment case which profiles economic, social, and psychological costs, risks and consequences resulting from not investing in child and adolescent education systems in post-conflict Syria. The results will enable UNICEF to engage in evidence-based advocacy to invest in education systems-strengthening in Syria. The investigation will cite evidence on how to balance education investments at various levels to achieve the highest economic and human development returns notwithstanding existing budget limitations, and to mitigate against negative long-term social impacts that could result in added instability in the post-crisis recovery period.

Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries among Adolescents 2020-2022
Investigators: John Symons, Kim Sweeny (VISES)
Funded by: FIA Foundation, London
Partner: Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) on Driving Global Investment in Adolescent Health
Description: Various modes of transport have a major influence on death and disability with road traffic injuries remaining the leading cause of death and a major overall contributor to the burden of disease among adolescents. This is particularly true for low- and middle-income countries, with road traffic injury being the leading cause of death for children and young people between the ages of 5 and 29. Most of the evidence for the effectiveness of interventions to reduce road traffic injuries derives from studies done in high-income countries. This is one significant limitation on the development of investment cases for optimal transport in low- and middle-income countries. There is less evidence on the appropriateness, feasibility and effectiveness of these interventions in low- and middle-income countries, where effectiveness is likely to depend on the state of infrastructure, the nature of health systems and the degree of governance. This research aims to address this evidence gap. This agenda aligns with the FIA Foundation’s recently released 2030 manifesto "These are our Streets" and the aim of making streets safe for young people as currently a person is killed on roads somewhere around every 23 seconds. While many successful interventions are known, there are many for which evidence is scarce and the cost of the interventions in individual countries is also unknown.

Outputs:
Symons, J. and Sweeny, K. 2022, Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries among Adolescents, Final Report to FIA Foundation, London, Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Symons, J. and Sweeny, K. 2021, 'Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries among Adolescents: Tanzania Road Safety Case Study', Final Report to FIA Foundation, London, Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Symons, J. and Sweeny, K. 2021, 'Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries among Adolescents: Vietnam Road Safety Case Study', Final Report to FIA Foundation, London, Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Symons, J. and Sweeny, K. 2021, 'Development of the Investment Case to Reduce Road Traffic Injuries among Adolescents: Colombia Road Safety Case Study', Final Report to FIA Foundation, London, Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria University, Melbourne.
See FIA Foundation press release, 20 June 2022.

Investment Case Study on HPV Vaccination in Viet Nam 2020-2022
Investigators: Kim Sweeny, John Symons, Bruce Rasmussen (VISES)
Funded by: UNFPA Vietnam
Partners: National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (Ministry of Health of Viet Nam) and Daffodil Centre
Description: The study provides strong evidence to support the efforts of the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam and other agencies to scale up an human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination program in Viet Nam for girls and women. The study shows that a vaccination programme will return between around 5 and 11 times its cost in economic benefits, and between 8 and 20 times its cost in combined economic and social benefits.

Output:
Sweeny, K., Nguyen, D.T.N., Simms, K., Keane, A., Bateson, D. and Canfell, K. 2023, An Investment Case Study on HPV Vaccination in Viet Nam, Ministry of Health (Vietnam), and UNFPA, Hanoi.
Media release 10 May 2023.
News item in Viet Nam News 11 May 2023.

Modelling of Impact of Vaccines in Australia 2021
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Kim Sweeny
Funded by: Shawview Consulting Australia Pty Ltd
Description: VISES worked together with Shawview Consulting on a project to model the economic, productivity and perhaps other societal benefits to Australia from Australia’s National Immunisation Program.

Output:
Shawview Consulting 2021, Valuing Vaccines: Ensuring Australia’s Access to Vaccines Today, December, Sydney.

COVID-19 Impact on Child Marriage 2020
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, John Symons
Funded by: Avenir Health
Description: To model the estimated impact of COVID-19 on meeting the UNFPA Transformative Result of ending child marriage. Further work from previous UNFPA project on the cost of eliminating child marriage.

Output:
UNFPA, Avenir Health, Johns Hopkins University and Victoria University 2020, Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Family Planning and Ending Gender-based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage, Interim Technical Note, New York.
See UNFPA news on cost of COVID on child marriage.

Evaluation: Measuring Cost Effectiveness and Return on Investment (ROI) of the WorkWell Program 2019-2020
Investigators: Kim Sweeny, Bruce Rasmussen, Alison Welsh (VISES)
Funded by: WorkSafe Victoria
Description: The WorkWell program is a five year, $50M Victorian state government-funded program being delivered by WorkSafe Victoria, in partnership with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). WorkWell was launched in 2017 to provide employers and employees with innovative, evidence-based approaches to promote mental health and wellbeing in the workplace and prevent mental illness and mental injury. VISES will design and develop a framework that measures ROI for the WorkWell program and the program elements, including an analysis on the social return on investment that result from or can be attributed to the intervention of the WorkWell program.

Report:
Sweeny, K. and Rasmussen, B. 2019, Evaluation of the WorkWell Program: Initial Report, Report for the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne.

Cost of Eliminating Child Marriage and Intimate Partner Violence 2019
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Peter Sheehan, Neelam Maharaj (VISES)
Funded by: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Partner: Johns Hopkins University
Description: This is part of a UNFPA effort for ending child early and enforced marriage by 2030. This project investigated the costs of the elimination of the harmful practice of child marriage and gender-based violence. The activities were conducted in line with the cooperative priorities to cost three transformative results presented at the ICPD25 summit in Nariobi in November 2019, where over 8,300 delegates from about 170 countries united behind the Nairobi Statement, which establishes a shared agenda to complete the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, remarkable in the recognition that reproductive health and rights, as well as women's empowerment and gender equality, are cornerstones of population and development programmes.

Outputs: Rasmussen, B., Maharj, N. et al. 2020, 'Cost of ending child marriage', in UNFPA, Costing the Three Transformative Results, New York, chap. 4.
Rasmussen, B., Symons, J. and Maharaj, M. and Madonia, K. 2020, ‘Promised, given, traded, sold’, in UNFPA, State of the World Population: Against My Will, New York, pp. 94-113.


Investment Framework Case Study: Estimating the Impacts and Opportunity Costs of Social Sector Investments for Adolescents (10–19 years) in Burundi 2019
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Peter Sheehan, Kim Sweeny, John Symons (VISES)
Funded by: UNICEF
Description: This project will address the following questions: (i) What is the package intervention for adolescents (10-19 years of age) that will ensure the best return on investment in terms of economic and human development terms of GDP growth, National income growth, improvement in the Human Development Index, poverty rate and child deprivation, reduction of social inequalities? (ii) What would be the total cost of investing in the high impact interventions for adolescents; total and by type of intervention/service? (iii) How many adolescents will need to be reached across different investment areas to achieve intended results by 2030; total per year and by type of intervention/service? (iv) What are the long-term impact scenarios (2020, 2025, 2030) for adolescents based on implementation of the investment framework and a greater focus on high impact interventions?

Report:
Rasmussen, B., Sheehan, P., Sweeny, K., Symons, J. and Maharah, N. 2019, Adolescent Investment Case Burundi: Estimating the Impacts of Social Sector Investments for Adolescents, Final Report to UNICEF Burundi, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne.

A Case for National Investment in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing in India 2019
Investigators: Peter Sheehan, Bruce Rasmussen, Kim Sweeny (VISES)
Partner: Public Health Foundation of India Funded by: UNFPA
Description: The project commissioned by the UNFPA, has the following objectives: (i) To examine and estimate the costs and benefits of several interventions identified that promote healthy physical growth and socio-economic development during the period of adolescence; (ii) To carry out this exercise both at the National Level and four States in the Indian context; and (iii) Too communicate the evidence to various stakeholders, including government at national and state levels.

The Impact of Ill Health on Retirement Savings in Australia 2018
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Kim Sweeny, Neelam Maharaj, Alison Welsh
Funded by: McKell Institute
Description: This project develops models to provide estimates of the economic impact of retirement due to ill health and the implications for superannuation balances. Bruce Rasmussen was interviewed by Channel 7 which was included in a news bulletin on the study.

Report:
Rasmussen, B., Sweeny, K., Welsh, A. and Maharaj, N. 2018, Our Health, Our Wealth: The Impact of Ill Health on Retirement Savings in Australia, Report to McKell Institute, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, 43 pp.

APEC Health Financing 2016-2017
Investigator: Bruce Rasmussen (VISES)
Funded by: APEC 2016-2017
Description: In October 2016, Bruce Rasmussen was nominated Executive Board Member at the APEC Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting (SFOM) in Lima Peru, where he was invited to present on financing options for investing in health.

In 2017, he was appointed Co-chair (Academic) of the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum (LSIF), leading a program aimed at encouraging APEC developing economies to consider adopting blended and other innovative approaches to increase funding for health.

He was invited to attend and present at the APEC SFOM at Ninh Binh, Vietnam, 18-19 May 2017, where senior officials discussed recent economic and financial development  including key issues and risks for APEC economies and appropriate policy responses. Session topics included implementation of the Cebu Action Plan, long-term investment in infrastructure, base erosion and profit sharing, fiscal and economic impacts of ill-health, disaster risk financing, and financial inclusion and promote finance access in supporting sustainable agro and rural development.

Bruce Rasmussen and Kim Sweeny also made presentations on two days of the meetings at the 7th APEC High-level Meeting on Health and the Economy in August 23, attended by some 200 delegates from APEC economies and international organizations. In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasized that Asia-Pacific faces challenges in human health and its population is ageing at a rapid pace. “An investment in health is an investment in development,” he told the gathering. “Sharing policy successes and failures and applying lessons learned is critical to moving APEC member economies towards the common goal of a healthy Asia-Pacific.” On 24 August, the Vice Minister of Health, H.E. Nguyen Viet Tien chaired the APEC Policy Dialogue on HPV and Cervical Cancer and APEC Cervical Cancer Expert Group Workshop where delegates shared information on the situation of cervical cancer in their respective economies as well practices of combating HPV spreading and cervical cancer. Bruce Rasmussen presented at the IV: Panel Discussion: The HPV Vaccine – One of the Best Investments in the Health of Young Women of this Workshop.

Presentations:
Rasmussen, B. 2017, 'Introducing the Return on HPV Vaccine Study: A Case for Global Investment in the Capabilities of Adolescents' invited presentation to the Policy Dialogue on HPV and Cervical Cancer and APEC Cervical Cancer Expert Group Workshop, 7th APEC High-level Meeting on Health and the Economy, IV: Panel Discussion: The HPV Vaccine – One of the Best Investments in the Health of Young Women, Ho Chi Minh City, 24 August 2017.
Sweeny, K. 2017, 'The Investment Case for a Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination Program', invited presentation to the Policy Dialogue on HPV and Cervical Cancer and APEC Cervical Cancer Expert Group Workshop, 7th APEC High-level Meeting on Health and the Economy, IV: Panel Discussion: The HPV Vaccine – One of the Best Investments in the Health of Young Women of this Workshop, Ho Chi Minh City, 24 August 2017.
Rasmussen, B. 2017, 'Building the Foundations for Sustainable Development: A Case for Global Investment in the Capabilities of Adolescents', invited presentation to the 7th APEC High level Meeting on Health and the Economy, Session 5: Plenary Panel on Making the Best Investments in Adolescent Health and Well-being, Ho Chi Minh City, 23 August 2017.
Rasmussen, B. 2017, ‘Ways to Address the Fiscal and Economic Impacts of Ill-Health’, presentation to the APEC Senior Finance Official’s Meeting, Session 5: Joint Discussion Between SFOM and HWG/LSIF, Ninh Binh, Vietnam, 18-19 May 2017.
Rasmussen, B. 2016, ‘Health as an Investment: Measuring Value to Create Financing Options’, presentation to APEC Senior Finance Officials’ Meeting “Strengthening Public Policy for an Integrated and Resilient Asia-Pacific Region”, Session 4: LSIF And HWG Work on Fiscal and Economic Impacts of Ill Health, Lima, Peru, 13 October 2016.

Global Study on Health and the Economy 2016
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Peter Sheehan and Kim Sweeny
Funded by: US Chamber of Commerce (USCC)
Description: This study measured the impact of wellness on workforce productivity in global markets. Bruce Rasmussen was invited by the USCC to present the report at their Global Initiative on Health and Economy meeting in Washington DC on 15 April 2016. The USCC media release stated the report was "the first of its kind to examine productivity losses that arise from absenteeism, presenteeism and early retirement".

Report:
Rasmussen, B., Sweeny, K. and Sheehan, P. 2016, Health and the Economy: The Impact of Wellness on Workforce Productivity in Global Markets, Report to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Initiative on Health and Economy, Washington, DC, April, 28 pp.

Investment in Improving Health, Education and other Outcomes for Adolescents 2015-2017
Investigators: Peter Sheehan (VISES), Bruce Rasmussen (VISES), Kim Sweeny (VISES), Pauline Rose (Cambridge University), George Patton (University of Melbourne), Babette Wils (Independent Consultant), Eric Howard (Whiting Moyne P/L), Angela Taft (Judith Lumley Centre, LaTrobe University)
Funded by: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Description: To document the return to interventions to improve the welfare of adolescents aged 10-19 years in 74 developing countries around the world, for a period to 2035. The investigators identified a range of interventions to estimate their cost and their like impact in terms of adolescent outcomes, estimated the economic and social benefits flowing from these improved adolescent outcomes, and brought together the annual flows of costs and benefits out 2035 on a net present value basis.

It was found that investing in adolescent health and education could bring 10-fold economic benefit. This generation of young people can transform all our futures. There is no more pressing task in global health than ensuring they have the resources to do so. There are 1.8 billion adolescents in the world today – the largest generation of adolescents in the world’s history. Investments in adolescent health and wellbeing will not only transform the lives of girls and boys around the world, but will also generate high economic returns, especially in low income countries. The analysis and results were published in The Lancet on 2 April 2017. On 20 April 2017, the World Bank discussed adolescents as part of their flagship event at the Spring Meetings in Washington DC (details here). Copies of the Lancet Adolescent Health Commission paper and The Lancet investment case paper were available at the event.

Output journal article:
Sheehan, P., Sweeny, K., Rasmussen, B., Wils, A., Friedman, H.S., Mahon, J., Patton, G.C., Sawyer, S.M., Howard, E., Symons, J., Stenberg, K., Chalasani, S., Maharaj, N., Reavley, N., Shi, H., Fridman, M., Welsh, A., Nsofor, E. and Laski, L. 2017, Building the foundations for sustainable development: A case for global investment in the capabilities of adolescents, The Lancet, , vol. 390, no. 10104, pp. 1792-1806.
Sheehan, P., Sweeny, K., Rasmussen, B. et al. 2017, Supplementary Appendix to Building the foundations for sustainable development: A case for global investment in the capabilities of adolescents, The Lancet, online 20 April 2017.
The Lancet Media Release on 'Building the foundations for sustainable development'.

Other supporting papers:
Wils, A. 2019, Learning Outcomes Analysis and Estimates, Supporting Paper for the UNFPA Project (RFP ID UNFPA/USA/14/037) Investment in Improving Health, Education and other Outcomes for Adolescents, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, March.
Wils, A. 2016, Technical Aspects of the Education Model, Supporting Paper to the UNFPA Project (RFP ID UNFPA/USA/14/037) Investment in Improving Health, Education and other Outcomes for Adolescents, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Wils, A. 2015, Education, Marriage and Adolescent Welfare: Challenges, Programs and Projections, Supporting Paper to the UNFPA Project (RFP ID UNFPA/USA/14/037) Investment in Improving Health, Education and other Outcomes for Adolescents, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, December.

Impact of Health on Payment Pensions 2015
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Kim Sweeny and Peter Sheehan
Funded by: US Chamber of Commerce (USCC)
Description: The project comprised four studies estimating the economic cost of early retirement due to ill health. The first focussed on a review of the pension systems for each of six economies (Australia, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines and the United States) and the generation of likely scenarios modelled to determine the effect of reducing early retirement due to ill health, through proven, cost effective, general and workplace interventions aimed at specific causes of ill health. The second study extended the first study and provided estimates of the economic cost of early retirement due to ill health for 10 economies (Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey). The third study investigated the impact of health on worker attendance and productivity, and documents the limited information available on the current prevalence and expected future incidence of key NCDs for 12 economies (Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey). The fourth study provided estimates of the economic cost due to productivity losses arising from absenteeism, presenteeism and early retirement due to ill health in Brazil. Findings of this report were presented to the Brazil-USCC at a conference in Brazilia.

Reports:
Rasmussen, B., Sweeny, K. and Sheehan, P. 2015, Cost of Early Retirement Due to Ill Health, Report to the APEC Business Advisory Council and US Chamber of Commerce, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, July.
Rasmussen, B., Sweeny, K. and Sheehan, P. 2015, Cost of Early Retirement Due to Ill Health: Phase II Countries, Report to the APEC Business Advisory Council and US Chamber of Commerce, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, October.
Sweeny, K., Rasmussen, B. and Sheehan, P. 2015, The Impact of Health on Worker Attendance and Productivity in Twelve Countries, Report to the APEC Business Advisory Council and US Chamber of Commerce, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, October.
Rasmussen, B., Sweeny, K. and Sheehan, P. 2015, Economic Costs of Absenteeism, Presenteeism and Early Retirement Due to Ill Health: A Focus on Brazil, Report to the Brazil-US Business Council, the US Chamber of Commerce and the APEC Business Advisory Council, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, November.
Rasmussen, B. 2015, ‘Economic Costs of Absenteeism, Presenteeism and Early Retirement Due to Ill Health: A Focus on Brazil’, presented at the Conference on the Impact of Health and Productivity, Brazil-US Chamber of Commerce, Brazilia, 8 December 2015.

Scaling-Up Depression Treatment: A Return on Investment 2015
Chief investigators: Dan Chisholm (WHO); and Kim Sweeny, Bruce Rasmussen and Peter Sheehan (VISES); in collaboration with the Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Funded by: World Health Organisation (WHO) and Mitchell Institute
Description: Depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and disabling conditions, which not only result in an enormous amount of human misery and lost health, but also lost economic output. This study sets out the global investment case for a scaled-up response to the public health and economic burden of depression and anxiety disorders.

Output journal article:
Chisholm, D., Sweeny, K., Sheehan, P., Rasmussen, B., Smit, F., Cuijpers, P. and Saxena, S. 2015, ‘Scaling-up treatment of depression and anxiety: A global return on investment analysis’, Lancet Psychiatry, vol. 3, no. 5, pp. 415-424.

Measurement Framework for Economic and Social Costs of NCDs 2015
Investigators: Melanie Bertram, Jeremy Lauer and Dan Chisholm (WHO), Kim Sweeny, Peter Sheehan and Bruce Rasmussen (VISES), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Nepal, WHO, Nepal and Ministry of Health, Barbados
Funded by: WHO and Mitchell Institute
Description: As the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to rise, there is an urgent need to estimate the costs and benefits of an investment strategy related to the prevention and control of NCDs. Results from an investment-case analysis can provide important new evidence to governments and donors for use in decision making. This study uses the OneHealth Tool cardiovascular disease cost and impact modules to calculate the health benefits and costs of scaling up a package of prevention and treatment interventions for CVD from 2015-2030. Economic benefits were then calculated, in terms of increased workforce participation and productivity and the economic benefits of increased healthy life expectancy.

Output journal article:
Bertram, M.Y., Sweeny, K., Lauer, J.A., Chisholm, D., Sheehan, P., Rasmussen, B., Upreti, S.R., Dixit, L.P., George, K. and Deane, S. 2018, ‘Investing in non-communicable diseases: An estimation of the return on investment for prevention and treatment services’, The Lancet, vol. 391, no. 10134, pp. 2071–2078.

PBS Modelling 2015
Investigator: Kim Sweeny
Funded by: Medicines Australia
Description: This study estimates the savings to the Commonwealth Government arising from the introduction of the Simplified Price Disclosure (SPD) arrangements for medicines listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Report:
Sweeny, K. 2015, The Impact of Simplified Price Disclosure on the PBS and Changes to Mandatory Price Cut Levels, Draft Report to Medicines Australia, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, January.

The Mitchell Health and Education Indicators Project Youth Transition Pathways 2013-2014
Investigators: Bruce Rasmussen, Peter Sheehan, Neelam Maharaj and Alison Welsh, in collaboration with Prof. Frank Lichtenberg (Columbia University)
Funded by: The Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy
Other partners: Public Health Information Development Unit, University of Adelaide and Brimbank City Council
Description: To develop a set of health and education indicators reflective of population health and education pathways to outcomes.

Discussion papers:
Rasmussen, B. and Maharaj, N. 2014, The Mitchell Institute Health and Education Indicators: Conceptual Foundations, VISES Discussion Paper, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Maharaj, N. 2015, Evidence of Health and Education in Early Childhood Across the Life Course, VISES Discussion Paper, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Rasmussen, B. and Welsh, A. 2014, Youth Transition Pathways, VISES Discussion Paper, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Rasmussen, B. 2015, Family Formation, VISES Discussion Paper, Victoria University, Melbourne.
Maharaj, N. 2015, Evidence of Health and Education in Prime Age Across the Life Course, VISES Discussion Paper, Victoria University, Melbourne.

Treatment of Mental Health: With a Focus on Comorbidity 2015
Investigators: Kim Sweeny and Hui Shi
Funded by: Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists and Mitchell Institute
Description: A study on the estimation of various aspects of the economic impact of the combined burden of co-morbid physical and chronic mental illnesses for Australia and New Zealand. This involved a set of direct and indirect costs of treatment and range of opportunity costs for the individual and society.

Report:
Sweeny, K. and Shi, H. 2016, ‘The Economic Cost of Serious Mental Illness and Comorbidities in Australia and New Zealand’, Report prepared for The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, 48 pp.

Returns on Investment in the Continuum of Care for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health 2013-2014
Investigators: Kim Sweeny and Peter Sheehan
Funded by: Disease Control Network
Funded 2013-2014
Description: An extension of the study on the returns to large scale investments in in reproductive, maternal and child health for a large number of countries (see details above).

Output book chapter:
Stenberg, K., Sweeny, K., Axelson, H., Temmerman, M. and Sheehan, P. 2015, ‘Returns on investment in the continuum of care for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health’, in R. Black, M. Temmerman, R. Laxminarayan and N. Walker (eds), Disease Control Priorities, 3rd Edition (DCP3) - Volume 2 on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH), chap. 16, Department of Global Health, University of Washington and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Washington DC.

The Impact of Health on Worker Attendance and Productivity in the APEC Region 2014
Investigators: Peter Sheehan, Bruce Rasmussen, Kim Sweeny, Neelam Maharaj and Margarita Kumnick
Funded by: APEC Business Advisory Council Secretariat and US PhRMA
Description: Estimates the potential economic gains from reducing poor health on worker attendance and productivity in 6 APEC countries (China, Peru, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia and USA).

Report:
Sheehan, P., Rasmussen, B. and Sweeny, K. 2014, The Impact of Health on Worker Attendance and Productivity in the APEC Region, report to APEC Business Advisory Council, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, July, 45 pp.

The Influence of Childhood Circumstances on Adult Health 2014
Investigators: Kim Sweeny
Funded by: Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy
Description: A review of research on the social determinants of health, the influence of childhood and maternal health and socioeconomic and other status on future adult health. Includes a review of economic evaluations of policies to mitigate these influences.

Report:
Sweeny, K. 2014, The Influence of Childhood Circumstances on Adult Health, Draft Report to The Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, March, 19 pp.

Economic Evaluation of the Impact of the Pharmacogenomics Decision Support System 2013-2014
Investigator: Kim Sweeny
Funded by: Gene FX Health Pty Ltd
Description: An economic evaluation of the impact of the pharmacogenenomics decision support system (PDSS).

Report:
Sweeny, K. 2014, Pharmacogenomic Proof of Concept Study: Economic Analysis, Report to Gene FX Health Pty Ltd, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne.

The Impact of Further PBS Reforms 2012
Investigator: Kim Sweeny
Funded by: Medicines Australia
Funding 2012: $64,091

Report:
Sweeny, K. 2013, The Impact of Further PBS Reforms, Report to Medicines Australia, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, April, 29 pp.
Sweeny, K. 2013, The Impact of Further PBS Reforms: Further Modelling with Different Assumptions about Biological Medicines, Report to Medicines Australia, VISES, Victoria University, Melbourne, May, 13 pp.

Investing in Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: A Preliminary Analysis of the Costs, Benefits and Returns 2012
Investigators: Peter Sheehan, Bruce Rasmussen and Kim Sweeny; in collaboration with Karin Stenberg (WHO), John Beard (WHO) and Henrik Axelson (PMNCH)
Funding by: The Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva and APEC Technical Assistance and Training Facility (TATF)
Description: A study prepared for the APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy, at St Petersburg in June 2012. It investigates in a preliminary way, the costs and benefits of large scale investment in health innovation in relation to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health for six APEC economies: China, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Report:
Sheehan, P., Sweeny, K., Rasmussen, B. and World Health Organization (WHO) 2012, Investing in Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: Analysis of the Costs, Benefits and Returns, study prepared for the LSIF APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy, St Petersburg, 27 June 2012.


Contact:
Bruce Rasmussen