Economic Evaluation and Prioritisation of Climate Actions in Health Systems

Supervisors: Dr Patrick Fahr, Professor Stavros Petrou, Dr Luke Allen, Professor Rafael Perera

Health systems are both affected by and contributors to climate change. On one hand, they must adapt to growing risks such as extreme weather, shifting disease patterns, and service disruptions. On the other, they also have a role to play in climate mitigation by reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable models of care. Despite the urgency of these challenges, there is limited methodological guidance on how to evaluate and prioritise climate-related actions within health systems.

This DPhil project will develop a conceptual and applied framework for conducting economic evaluations of both climate adaptation and mitigation interventions in the health sector. It will explore how conventional approaches, such as cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis, can be extended or combined with methods like multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to reflect the complex, cross-sectoral, and often long-term nature of climate-health actions. Particular attention will be given to interventions where standard health economic data or endpoints may be limited or indirect.

The framework will be tested using selected case studies, such as investments in climate-resilient infrastructure, emergency preparedness, energy-efficient facilities, or sustainable procurement systems. These applications will help assess trade-offs between economic efficiency, feasibility, equity, and other relevant criteria. The goal is to support more structured and transparent decision-making on climate-related investments in health systems, contributing to both climate and public health goals.

Preferred applicant background/skills: The ideal candidate will have a strong interdisciplinary background spanning public health, health systems, or epidemiology, with additional experience or training in environmental sciences, climate change, or sustainability. A Master’s degree in public health, global health, health economics, environmental health, or a related discipline is expected. Familiarity with methods for health economic evaluation (e.g., cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit analysis), climate-health interactions, or multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) would be advantageous. The candidate should have strong analytical skills, a critical mindset, and an interest in methodological development with real-world policy relevance. Experience working with health or climate datasets, or conducting policy-relevant research, is desirable but not essential.