Introduction
The Sustainable Health Unit (SUSTAINIT) is highlighting its researchers in the series, Researcher on Centre Stage. Meet Lumbwe Chola - his research field and focus is on including economic considerations in health priority setting. This includes the cost-effectiveness and budget impact of interventions included in health benefits packages. He also works on strengthening the institutionalization of health technology assessment in low and middle-income countries.
What made you interested in this topic?
I have a background in economics, which I did at bachelor level. For several years after my bachelor degree, I worked as a statistician in the Bureau of Statistics in Zambia. I participated in several health and nutrition surveys, which sparked my interest in healthcare.
Is there a particular event, situation or person that inspired you to take this path?
I come from a country that has vast natural resources and in my opinion should not be classified as poor. Over the years, I've come to believe that resources are available in so called - poor countries, and they can achieve health for all by making the right choices. This is what drives me to push the message on the importance of priority setting in resource allocation in low and middle income countries.
How can this research contribute to solving challenges within sustainable health?
Focusing on value for money contributes to sustainable healthcare. I have been fortunate and privileged to be part of research that has contributed to policy changes in several African countries, leading to improved access to health. An example is work that we did in Ghana on the economic impact of providing care to children with cancer. The government of Ghana added childhood cancers to the benefits package of the National Health Insurance, and today more than 300 children every year benefit from this initiative.
Do you have any advice to students that aim for an academic career within sustainable health?
I know that many students who come into the public or global health field are worried about career options and pathways. Don't worry about this and remember that there are 195 countries in which this work can be done.
Publication in the research field
This paper looks at the feasibility of conducting health technology assessment in Palestine. We share our experiences of the challenges and successes of working remotely to support evidence-informed decision-making. This paper is especially important to me because I got to see the growth of the second author, who I first met when she worked under my supervision as an intern in my project at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. She was eventually employed in a fulltime position, where she co-led this and similar studies on health technology assessment in low and middle-income countries. This is an example of paths that students at UiO can take.
Lumbwe Chola | Associate Professor - Department of Health Management and Health Economics and Leader of the Crosscutting Theme in Health Economics at the Centre for Global Health, University of Oslo - Learn more about Lumbwe's research here.