Key tasks included:

• Provide orientation for provincial health teams on financial analysis of provincial health systems.
• Appraise the fiscal situation in the eight provinces, including provincial allocation mechanisms.
• Prepare basic provincial health accounts for eight provinces showing sources and uses of funds.
• Additionally, projected cost analysis of offering a new package of services with assumed targets were performed for selected scenarios which included.
• Delivering the package as the only activity.
• OPB services additional to the routine services.
• Delivering an integrated package.

• Cost project components using Costab 3.2 tables and prepare financing plan.
• Show how the project relates to objectives of the health sector as a whole and the need for the services of the project. If the project is to be in the public sector, is there scope for links with the private and NGO sectors through sub-contacting or other forms of collaboration.
• Identify the main beneficiary groups affected by the project. Show how they relate to the Bank’s health sector priorities, in particular, and its strategic objectives.
• Identify the main health impacts of the project and consider whether these can be expressed in monetary terms. Where appropriate, justify the project using an economic IRR and NPV calculations
• Prepare a poverty profile of the project influence area. Clearly define the poverty line to be used in the analysis. Use the line agreed in the Partnership Agreement on Poverty Reduction between ADB and the DMC if already available. Indicate the poverty incidence and characteristics of poverty and perception of the people in the project influence area.
Carry out distribution and poverty impact analysis as outlined in the Handbook and estimate poverty impact ratio (PIR). Spell out the critical assumptions and data sources required to estimate the PIR. Identify the key parameters that include uncertainties and apply sensitivity analysis on the PIR, in addition to the currently practiced sensitivity analysis on FIRR/EIRR. Discuss the extent of the reliability of the PIR estimation and qualify the result.
• Identify the financing arrangements for the project with a view to establishing a system that will be financially sustainable. If the project is not self financing consider the scope for government funding particularly of recurrent expenditure and provide an assessment of the budgetary implications for the government.

The key objective of the grant is to support the government to prevent HIV/AIDS in rural populations peripheral to development enclave sites. Activities including enclave-based health services will be extended to surrounding populations, sustainable behaviour change programs developed and implemented and a national surveillance system developed. Key consultant inputs included:

• Review the economic and financial analysis of the grant for the overall project as well as each sub-component (using Costab 3.2 tables).
• Assist the Mission Leader in the preparation of the draft RRP an emphasis on cost and economic analysis, co-financing and contract packaging.
• Participate in discussions regarding affordability issues.
• Conduct the economic and financial Analysis to be included as appendix in the RRP.

Key task included:

• Cost project components using Costab 3.2 tables and prepare financing plan
• Specify activities for each project component across 10 Pacific countries - including surveillance and second generation surveys community-based management of sexually transmitted infections, behaviour change programs and condom social marketing and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups including transsexuals, seafarers, commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men and youth.
• Identify the main health impacts of the project and consider whether these can be expressed in monetary terms. Where appropriate, justify the project using an economic IRR and NPV calculations.
• Specify terms of reference for consulting services to be engaged in the project, along with preparing indicative training and procurement packaging.
• Responsible for report preparation and finalisation, economic impact modelling and liaison with regional public health officials.

Loan fact finding to reach an agreement with the Government of Bangladesh on objective, scope, cost estimate, financing and implementation arrangements of the Loan Project. Key tasks included:

• Review the economic and financial analysis of the PPTA for the overall project as well as each sub-component (using Costab 3.2 tables). Particular attention on financial viability and sustainability, institutional and financing arrangements, fund flow, roles and responsibilities of each stakeholders, and level of subsidy.
• Assist the Mission Leader in the preparation of the draft RRP and all related documents, with an emphasis on the economic and financial analysis, poverty impact assessment, cost estimates, co-financing and contract packaging.
• Participate in discussions regarding poverty impact and affordability issues.
• Assist the Mission Leader in responding to ADB-wide comments on the draft. RRP, refine the document as necessary, and ensure that the final Project design is fully viable in all aspects. Finalize the Economic and Financial Analysis to be included as appendix in the RRP.

Fact finding to reach an agreement with the Government of Vietnam on objective, scope, cost estimate, financing and implementation arrangements of the Project. Key components of the Project included:

• Leadership and strategy support for HIV/AIDS prevention among youth; national mass media program for behaviour change.
• Community-based HIV/AIDS prevention resources for youth including harm reduction outreach services.
• HIV prevention for vulnerable youth, and primary prevention programs for youth and families.
• project management, capacity building, monitoring, and evaluation.

Key tasks for the consultant included reviewing the economic and financial analysis of the overall project and assisting the Mission Leader in the preparation of the draft RRP and all related documents, with an emphasis on the economic and financial analysis, and contract packaging

General objectives of the Joint Assessment included:

• Assist government in finalizing developing a detailed the medium-term national Avian Influenza operational program.
• Evaluate the National operational program in terms of its breadth and its prioritization and sequencing of activities.
• Develop a comprehensive financing plan for the implementation of the Work Program, including support from all ODAs and identifying possible financing gaps.

Key tasks for the consultant include costing plan components using Costab 3.2 tables, preparing financing plan and contract packaging. The results of the evaluation were summarized in a Joint Evaluation Report and endorsed by the international donor community and used as the reference for the activities to be supported by the donor agencies.

Key task included:
Conduct resource needs estimations, based on costing of a minimum package of effective interventions for HIV prevention aimed at adolescents and young people, with differential analysis for estimating required resources for HIV prevention interventions aimed at the “most-at-risk” (MARAs) and especially vulnerable adolescents (EVAs), and the general population of young people, perceived at “low or no” risk of HIV. Specific packages costed for following packages:

• Peer education and outreach.
• Youth friendly services, including STI diagnosis and treatment and HIV testing and counselling services.
• Services aimed at reducing drug related harm.
• Life skills based education (in school).
• Peer education, outreach in community.
• Information, education and communication (IEC) campaigns.
• Mass media campaigns.
• Policy interventions.

Methods:

• Establish unit cost of each of the above intervention.
• Establish critical level of coverage of the target population for EVA and low risk young people.
• Summarise the population size for the various populations of young people from existing literature and demographic studies.
• Derive at a total estimated resource need for each sub population for East Asia and the Pacific.

Financial and economic analysis of the national immunization program of Pakistan. Specific objectives included:

• Estimating current costs of the national immunization program, including routine immunization and polio eradication activities.
• Identifying current funding sources, determining key options for future development of the program (inclusion of hepatitis B, Haemohphilus influenzae and pentavalent vaccines), along with associated financing gaps.
• Analyzing the impact of immunization program development options on target populations by assessing current burden of disease, developing. epidemiological models and calculating disability adjusted life years (DALYs) saved.
• Reporting on the cost-effectiveness of vaccine verses other health sector interventions and recommending ways of strengthening the program.

Study used for assessing the cost-effectiveness of introducing a number of new vaccines, strategic planning and for the next 5-year federal (PC1) planning cycle. Results presented at the Fourth World International Health Economics Association Conference in San Francisco, June 2003.

Financial and economic analysis of HIV/AIDS impact in Asia and the Pacific. Estimates were prepared for different levels of HIV/AIDS prevalence (using Goals Model – Futures Group). Reporting to the UNAIDS South East Asia Inter Country Team (SEAPICT) and ADB, a draft report on the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS in the region was prepared. Economic impact research focus on:

• Sectoral levels, especially on health services.
• Macro levels, demographic indicators (adult mortality, life expectancy, infant mortality, disability adjusted life years ) and gross domestic product.
• Household levels, including incomes, savings, assets, schooling and family size for different countries.

Key task included:
Develop cost-benefit models and prepare a report documenting the economic evaluation of projects across the following four elements of the research centre’s project portfolio:

• Developing more cost-effective tools and systems for disease detection and surveillance.
• Transferring knowledge and technologies to public health, environment and community sectors by enhancing national and international collaborative linkages and networks within Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
• Equipping researchers, professionals and members of the community with appropriate knowledge and skills for responding to emerging infectious disease threats.

Economic analysis of Asian Development Bank (ADB) financed health policy reform projects across 9 countries in Asia and the Pacific for the Operations Evaluation Department. Key tasks include:

• Prepare an economic analysis of ADB’s assistance in the health sector and related fields, such as nutrition/early childhood development, population/reproductive health.
• Collect data and information needed in analyzing and evaluating the Policy, and verify the accuracy and quality of data and information gathered and submitted.
• Evaluate and provide an analysis of the efficiency and sustainability of ADB’s assistance to the health sector in relation to the health policy in the selected countries.
• Review the administrative mechanisms and matters relating to financing of the health sector, including support of key development partners, NGOs, and the private sector.
• Assess whether ADB has the appropriate modalities in providing its assistance in the health sector.
• Prepare project report and assist with project implementation.

The study will assess the economic impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Key task included:

• Conduct poverty analysis and develop a poverty profile that quantifies the poverty impact of HIV/AIDS, including at a gender disaggregated level, focusing on incomes, savings, assets, schooling, family size and the vulnerability of the poor and the near-poor to health-related shocks in selected countries in the Asia and Pacific region.
• Contribute to other economic analysis arising from the RETA including providing insights /commentary / analysis on HIV/AIDS resource tracking, national AIDS spending assessment, estimation of resource need, cost effectiveness, and household level studies.
• Facilitate on-time submission of formal written reports, including the draft and the final reports.
• Review, analyse and comment upon submission of technical reports and papers that could be required for either the United Nations Commission on AIDS and / or ICAAAP 8 with a view to ensuring highest professional standards of approaches.
• Participate actively in major meetings of the Economic Technical Reference Group that may be called over the period of the assignment, adding value to the discussion, giving a focus to quality assurance and technical rigour to approaches and methodologies under consideration; and keeping stakeholders at the meetings abreast of latest thinking and approaches in the field of health economics as it relates to HIV/AIDS.

Responsible for report preparation and finalisation, economic impact modelling and liaison with regional public health officials. Paper presented at ICAPP – & was covered by Times of India as lead health story http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthScience/

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Key task included:

• Conduct economic evaluation (ex-post) of the Laos Primary Health Care Expansion project. Key impacts in the analysis include cost savings from improved health care and reduced labour productivity losses associated with ill health. Cash flow model developed and sensitivity analysis undertaken. Analysis documented in report.
• Estimate the economic impact of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Viet Nam, Thailand, Cambodia and China using macro modelling. Farm, health sector and national impacts valued and documented in research paper for the WHO/ADB Greater Mekong Sub region, Communicable Diseases Forum in Guilin, China, 29 August 2005.
• In conjunction with Oxford Economic Forecasting (OEF), estimate the macroeconomic impacts – GDP, industrial output, labour supply, consumer spending, trade balance and exchange rate implications from growth in HIV/AIDS prevalence in India, Indonesia, China, Thailand and Philippines using OEF’s macro model.
• Formulate HIV/AIDS Strategy for the ADB in the Mekong. The strategy focus on current trends in the pandemic, sources of domestic and international finances to curb escalating rates of infection and identifying key gaps and strategic direction for ADB investment.

A business plan was developed to assist with the development and commercialisation of novel vaccines. Key elements of the plan include:

• Costing of antigen, vector and delivery systems discovery processes.
• Structuring of research program between high security laboratories in UK and USA to facilitate rapid product development.
• Assessment of financing options for R&D program.
• Vaccine market potential and value of product to end-users were modelled.
• Economic cost of key bio-threats modelled using macro-models, along with assessment of potential benefits from new product development (vaccines, diagnostics and anti-virals) Team Leader and responsible for report preparation and finalisation, cash-flow modelling and helping to facilitate agreements amongst players in project.

The study assessed the economic impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It included analysis of:

• Economic burden at national level.
• Impact on the health sector in regard to the cost of prevention, care, and treatment.
• Impact on the education sector for impact on demand for and supply of education.
• Impact on business in relation to supply of labour and skill levels, and on demand for goods and services.

Responsible for report preparation and finalisation, economic impact modelling and liaison with regional public health officials.

The study assessed the poverty impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in PNG and Fiji, including:

• Poverty mapping in PNG and Fiji.
• Forecasting prevalence of HIV within near poor and poor quintiles.
• Using international literature to estimate the impact of AIDS morbidity and mortality on household income, savings and consumption.
• Determining the numbers of households and people falling under poverty lines (headcount) as a result of the epidemic.

Responsible for report preparation, poverty impact modelling and literature review.

General objectives of assignment include :

• Participate in Joint Donor Missions.
• Develop comprehensive cost needs and financing plans for the implementation of National AI Work Programs.
• Link Joint Mission outcomes to ADB AI-related project objectives and implementation in the region.

Brief bank and other relevant stakeholders in regard to AI prevention activities facilitated by domestic and foreign agencies and key gaps to address.

UNAIDS constituted an independent “Commission on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific” in May 2006. The principle mandate of the Commission is to conduct an objective analysis of developmental consequences of the AIDS epidemic in the region, and its medium to long term implications on the socio-economic environment. The Commission will also provide various effective policy options to mobilize leaders to adequately fight against the pandemic. This consultancy supported the development of background papers relating to HIV/AIDS impacts in the region and economic analysis of future prevalence scenarios.