ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the economic efficiency of a nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age in Kenge, Kwango District, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) from 2014 to 2016. METHODS: The economic efficiency of a nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age who have recovered from malnutrition status was evaluated using a cost-benefit analysis. The costs were analyzed according to the executed budget incurred during the project period. The benefits were estimated as the monetary value of the saved lives of children under 5 years of age. The economic efficiency of the program was determined by the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). The BCR was calculated by dividing the total discounted benefit by the total discounted costs. The project is economically efficient when the BCR is greater than 1. RESULTS: The costs of the nutrition management program were calculated as 1,677,609,648 Korean Won (KRW). A total of 2,466 children survived with improved malnutrition status through this program. The benefit for the reduction of mortality for children under 5 years of age was estimated to be 6,814,354,467 KRW, the estimated value of life for 2,466 children. The BCR was 4.06. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age in DR Congo was found to be a cost-effective project. Successful and efficient Official Development Assistance (ODA) for a health project requires integrated and comprehensive strategies and specialized international development consulting to improve efficiency. Future nutrition management programs should take into account the national health program to maintain the sustainability of the project.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Budgets , Congo , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Malnutrition , Mortality , National Health Programs , Value of LifeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the economic efficiency of a nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age in Kenge, Kwango District, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) from 2014 to 2016. METHODS: The economic efficiency of a nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age who have recovered from malnutrition status was evaluated using a cost-benefit analysis. The costs were analyzed according to the executed budget incurred during the project period. The benefits were estimated as the monetary value of the saved lives of children under 5 years of age. The economic efficiency of the program was determined by the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). The BCR was calculated by dividing the total discounted benefit by the total discounted costs. The project is economically efficient when the BCR is greater than 1. RESULTS: The costs of the nutrition management program were calculated as 1,677,609,648 Korean Won (KRW). A total of 2,466 children survived with improved malnutrition status through this program. The benefit for the reduction of mortality for children under 5 years of age was estimated to be 6,814,354,467 KRW, the estimated value of life for 2,466 children. The BCR was 4.06. CONCLUSIONS: The nutrition management program for children under 5 years of age in DR Congo was found to be a cost-effective project. Successful and efficient Official Development Assistance (ODA) for a health project requires integrated and comprehensive strategies and specialized international development consulting to improve efficiency. Future nutrition management programs should take into account the national health program to maintain the sustainability of the project.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Budgets , Congo , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Democratic Republic of the Congo , Malnutrition , Mortality , National Health Programs , Value of LifeABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to develop an evaluation tool for operation of food safety and nutrition education projects for middle class elderly using the concept of the balanced score card. METHODS: After the draft of the evaluation tool for the elderly training projects was completed, it was revised into the questionnaire and the validity of the indicators was tested by the Delphi group. The validity of the indicators was rated using a 5-point scale. The Delphi group consisted of 26 experts in the education sector, 16 government officials, and 24 professionals of the related area in communities. The first round test was conducted from July 9 to July 17, 2012, and 45 persons responded. The second round test was conducted from July 18 to July 25 and 32 persons responded. RESULTS: The indicators, which were answered by more than 75 percent of the experts as 'agree' (4 points), 'strongly agree' (5 point) were included as the final indicators for the evaluation tool: 28 items out of 36 in outcome perspectives, 9 items out of 12 in process perspectives, and 17 out of 20 items in structure perspectives. The score was allocated as 50 points for outcome indicators, 20 points for process indicators, and 30 points for structure indicators. CONCLUSION: Completion of the evaluation tool is a prerequisite to determine whether the program is effectively implemented. The monitoring tool developed in the study could be applied for identification of the most optimal delivery path for the food safety and nutrition education program, for the spread of the food safety and nutrition education program for middle class elderly.