Cost Effectiveness Analysis Paper

Infectious agents can be transmitted to a susceptible human through several different modes of transmission. Ebola is caused by a virus and is spread through direct contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood, vomit, and feces. Direct transmission, or person-to-person transmission, occurs when a susceptible person touches another’s infected bodily fluids and then touches their mouth, eyes, nose, or another portal of entry. The study conducted in Liberia examined the rate of Ebola virus transmission among different communities, hypothesizing that areas with higher population densities and decreased sanitation would have higher rates of transmission (Fallah et al., 2015). The hypothesis was supported by the results, and the reasoning
Trillions of dollars each year would be required to implement global health strategies for all the causes of disease, disability, and death in the world. For public health officials to produce the most benefit for their communities, cost-effectiveness analysis can be used to determine if the funds being used for a public health initiative are effective at achieving the planned outcomes and are making efficient use of financial and other resources. The most cost-effective public health interventions tend to be relatively inexpensive, easy to distribute, and targeted towards children and young adults. Another consideration that must be taken when deciding on public health interventions is the cost of inaction. Although certain health efforts are expensive, the cost of inaction can inflict a massive loss of productivity on an economy, especially if a disease is particularly virulent. In the case of Ebola, the rate of mortality is relatively high, and outbreaks can take a devastating toll on communities both economically and in loss of human life. Many health interventions can increase the quality of life of millions of people at a relatively low cost per person; however, some diseases, such as the Ebola virus, are not quite at that point. The latest epidemic has demonstrated that internationally we do not have a cost-effective method to handle an outbreak (Rojek & Horby, 2017). Since the epidemic; however, there has been a significant increase in the amount of funding and research being allocated to developing drugs to prevent and treat the virus. If these efforts prove successful, we may see the production of a low-cost vaccine that could ultimately prevent new Ebola epidemics from