WHO-led consensus statement on vaccine delivery costing: process, methods, and findings

Area of Science:

• Health economics
• Vaccine delivery research
• Implementation science

Background:

• Inconsistent definitions and methods hinder economic evaluation synthesis in immunization.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) convened an expert working group to address standardization gaps.
• The group aimed to create a consensus statement for harmonized terminology and principles in vaccine delivery costing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a consensus statement harmonizing terminology and principles for vaccine delivery costing.
• To formulate recommendations for evidence-based decision-making in immunization programs.
• To improve the comparability and synthesis of economic evaluation results.

Main Methods:

• Conducted interviews, teleconferences, and meetings to identify relevant groups and guidance.
• Reviewed existing documents on vaccine delivery costing, focusing on low- and middle-income countries.
• Drafted consensus principles aligned with the Global Health Cost Consortium and consensus definitions.

Main Results:

• Identified four major workstreams, nine guidance documents, and eleven costing tools in immunization costing.
• Found variability in the definition of terms and principles across different workstreams.
• Developed recommendations to harmonize terminology and principles through extensive consultation.

Conclusions:

• Standardized principles and definitions facilitate the interpretation of economic evidence for decision-makers.
• Methodological alignment in program costing supports evidence-based policies and resource allocation.
• Study designs will continue to vary based on policy questions and country contexts, highlighting harmonization limitations.