Protocol on Causal Chain Analysis and Health Economic Modelling of Childhood Anaemia Interventions in Developing Countries - A Health Technology Assessment

BACKGROUND As anaemia imposes significant clinical and economic burden in developing countries, health technology assessment (HTA) is intended to explore the most important causal links and the manner in which particular intervention or combination of interventions may lead to fruitful effects for childhood anaemia. METHODS The integrated HTA approach shall include causal chain analysis (CCA), systematic literature review (SLR) and economic modelling. Causal Chain Analysis- Causal chains for anaemia in the children shall be assembled consisting of system characterisation, identification of the activities and the impacts, and their links to the anaemia impacts. Systematic Literature Review- The factors identified by the CCA will define the scope of the SLR and additional factors will be further explored. RCTs and SLRs which evaluated the effect of interventions for childhood anaemia shall be searched and included. An approach proposed by the Cochrane Collaboration and GRADE profiler shall be used. Economic Modelling- Economic model shall estimate the costs/benefits/drawbacks related with childhood anaemia in the developing countries and ensuing influence on the health-care system. The structure will be determined based on available research evidence. The data will be obtained from SLR or other pertinent evidences. RESULTS Results of the Systematic Literature Review, the Causal Chain Analysis, and the Economic Modelling will be combined together to create a consolidated report. CONCLUSIONS HTA shall be useful to policy-makers and health-care personnel in developing completely novel ways of understanding how different intervention effects change in childhood anaemia in developing countries.