title: Neglected tools for neglected diseases: mathematical models in economic evaluations.
abstract: Despite many current interventions against neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) being highly cost-effective, new strategies are needed to reach the WHO's control and elimination goals. Here we argue for the importance of incorporating economic evaluations of new strategies in decisions regarding resource allocation. Such evaluation should ideally be conducted using dynamic transmission models that capture inherent nonlinearities in transmission and the indirect benefits ('herd effects') of interventions. A systematic review of mathematical models that have been used for economic analysis of interventions against the ten NTDs covered by the London Declaration reveals that only 16 out of 49 studies used dynamic transmission models, highlighting a fundamental--but addressable--gap in the evaluation of interventions against NTDs.
authors.affiliation: London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK. Electronic address: hugo.turner06@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Hugo C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK; Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK; MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK.
authors.forename: Isobel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Churcher
authors.affiliation: London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK; Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG, UK.
authors.forename: María-Gloria
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Basáñez
mesh_terms: D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D058069:Neglected Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D012106:Research / Q000639:trends; D040841:Resource Allocation; D014944:World Health Organization
keywords: analysis theoretical models; control programmes; cost benefit; cost-effectiveness; economic evaluation studies; epidemiology; mathematical modelling; neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)