What is the primary role of a health economist in public health program planning?

• A. To design clinical trials
• B. To analyze costs and outcomes to inform resource allocation and efficiency
• C. To supervise data collection
• D. To communicate with patients

Answer: (B)

The central task in this area is evaluating costs relative to health outcomes to guide how limited resources are allocated in public health planning. A health economist analyzes the costs of different interventions alongside the health benefits they produce, using methods like cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and budget impact analyses. This helps decision makers compare options not just by what they achieve, but by what they cost to achieve it, enabling choices that maximize overall population health within a finite budget. They also consider how programs can be implemented efficiently and scaled up without waste, and how these choices affect equity and affordability.

Designing clinical trials, supervising data collection, and communicating with patients are important roles in other aspects of health research and care, but they do not represent the primary function in program planning.