Abstracts

Examining the Use of Health Economic Evidence in Priority Setting for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention and Control in Kenya: A Qualitative Exploration of Stakeholder Perspectives

Not scheduled

20m

Oral NCD Health Financing and Policy

Description

Background
Kenya faces a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and diabetes among the leading causes of death and disability. Addressing this trend requires effective prevention and control interventions. Health economic evidence is critical for priority setting, yet its uptake in Kenya remains unclear. This study explored Kenyan stakeholders’ perspectives on the use of health economic evidence in NCD decision making, associated challenges, and recommendations for improvement.
Methods
Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders involved in CVD prevention, management, policy, and research. Participants included Ministry of Health officials (national and county), civil society representatives, private sector actors, health economists, and researchers. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results
Stakeholders reported limited use of health economic evidence in NCD decision making. Key challenges included the low prioritisation of economic evidence in policy processes, limited technical capacity to generate and interpret evidence, poor data quality for modelling, and inadequate involvement of decision makers in evidence generation. Recommended facilitators included institutionalising the use of health economics in decision processes, building technical capacity, improving data systems, enhancing stakeholder engagement, and communicating findings in simplified, policy-relevant formats. Greater advocacy was also viewed as essential to increase awareness and demand for economic evidence.
Conclusion
Uptake of health economic evidence for NCD prevention and control in Kenya remains limited. Strengthening institutional frameworks, capacity, and stakeholder engagement will be critical to embedding economic evidence into decision making within the Ministry of Health.