Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in Uzbekistan
Objectives This study aims to assess the economic feasibility and broader policy implications of the Korea International Cooperation Agency’s (KOICA) official development assistance (ODA) projects for the COVID-19 emergency response in Uzbekistan through a cost–benefit analysis. The primary research...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/7/e089014.full |
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| author | Jin-Won Noh Young Dae Kwon Eun-Mi Song |
| author_facet | Jin-Won Noh Young Dae Kwon Eun-Mi Song |
| author_sort | Jin-Won Noh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives This study aims to assess the economic feasibility and broader policy implications of the Korea International Cooperation Agency’s (KOICA) official development assistance (ODA) projects for the COVID-19 emergency response in Uzbekistan through a cost–benefit analysis. The primary research question is to evaluate whether the interventions provide sufficient economic returns relative to their costs while informing future pandemic preparedness of response strategies.Design A cost–benefit analysis using quantitative methods was performed to assess the financial impact of the COVID-19 ODA projects.Setting The study was conducted in Uzbekistan, focusing on KOICA’s COVID-19 emergency response projects from January 2020 to December 2021.Interventions The intervention involved the implementation of KOICA’s COVID-19 emergency response activities, including early diagnosis support, establishment of rapid response bases, provision of medical equipment and emergency relief efforts in Uzbekistan.Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome measure is the net present value (NPV) and benefit/cost ratio of the project. Secondary outcome measures are the project’s effectiveness in terms of death prevention, reduction in medical costs and timely COVID-19 testing.Results The analysis revealed a total programme cost of US$11 353 173, with a net benefit ranging from US$21 026 032 to US$34 573 403, and a benefit/cost ratio between 1.85 and 3.05. A detailed examination of costs and benefits highlighted the programme’s positive NPV and benefit/cost ratio, indicating its economic feasibility. The study also underscored the programme’s effectiveness in preventing deaths, reducing medical costs and providing timely COVID-19 testing.Conclusions The findings confirm that KOICA’s COVID-19 emergency response projects in Uzbekistan were economically viable and effective. The study highlights the importance of integrating economic evaluations into ODA assessments, particularly for emergency response and infectious disease control. It recommends expanding the use of quantitative analysis to optimise resource allocation and improve decision-making in future global health crises. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e526589eaba74353b6488d8ae8f46425 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-e526589eaba74353b6488d8ae8f464252025-08-20T02:36:34ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-07-0115710.1136/bmjopen-2024-089014Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in UzbekistanJin-Won Noh0Young Dae Kwon1Eun-Mi Song2Division of Health Administration, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Yonsei University, Wonju-si, Korea (the Republic of)Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea (the Republic of)Division of Health Administration, Yonsei University, Wonju-si, Korea (the Republic of)Objectives This study aims to assess the economic feasibility and broader policy implications of the Korea International Cooperation Agency’s (KOICA) official development assistance (ODA) projects for the COVID-19 emergency response in Uzbekistan through a cost–benefit analysis. The primary research question is to evaluate whether the interventions provide sufficient economic returns relative to their costs while informing future pandemic preparedness of response strategies.Design A cost–benefit analysis using quantitative methods was performed to assess the financial impact of the COVID-19 ODA projects.Setting The study was conducted in Uzbekistan, focusing on KOICA’s COVID-19 emergency response projects from January 2020 to December 2021.Interventions The intervention involved the implementation of KOICA’s COVID-19 emergency response activities, including early diagnosis support, establishment of rapid response bases, provision of medical equipment and emergency relief efforts in Uzbekistan.Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome measure is the net present value (NPV) and benefit/cost ratio of the project. Secondary outcome measures are the project’s effectiveness in terms of death prevention, reduction in medical costs and timely COVID-19 testing.Results The analysis revealed a total programme cost of US$11 353 173, with a net benefit ranging from US$21 026 032 to US$34 573 403, and a benefit/cost ratio between 1.85 and 3.05. A detailed examination of costs and benefits highlighted the programme’s positive NPV and benefit/cost ratio, indicating its economic feasibility. The study also underscored the programme’s effectiveness in preventing deaths, reducing medical costs and providing timely COVID-19 testing.Conclusions The findings confirm that KOICA’s COVID-19 emergency response projects in Uzbekistan were economically viable and effective. The study highlights the importance of integrating economic evaluations into ODA assessments, particularly for emergency response and infectious disease control. It recommends expanding the use of quantitative analysis to optimise resource allocation and improve decision-making in future global health crises.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/7/e089014.full |
| spellingShingle | Jin-Won Noh Young Dae Kwon Eun-Mi Song Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in Uzbekistan BMJ Open |
| title | Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in Uzbekistan |
| title_full | Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in Uzbekistan |
| title_fullStr | Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in Uzbekistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in Uzbekistan |
| title_short | Economic evaluation of Korea’s COVID-19 response projects in Uzbekistan |
| title_sort | economic evaluation of korea s covid 19 response projects in uzbekistan |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/7/e089014.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jinwonnoh economicevaluationofkoreascovid19responseprojectsinuzbekistan AT youngdaekwon economicevaluationofkoreascovid19responseprojectsinuzbekistan AT eunmisong economicevaluationofkoreascovid19responseprojectsinuzbekistan |