Public notice and comment
After careful consideration of all applications submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO) following a public call for experts, WHO today announced the following proposed members of the WHO Technical Advisory Group on Economics for Environment, Climate Change and Health (TAG-EconECH). The TAG-EconECH will provide independent advice to the WHO including its strategic priorities and plans of action on specific topics relating to the economics for environment, climate change and health.
The eleven proposed TAG-EconECH members have expertise in a range of areas including, but not limited to the following:
- Health economics;
- Environmental economics;
- Climate change economics;
- Labour economics;
- Public financing;
- Investment cases;
- Cost-benefit analysis.
The composition of the TAG-EconECH properly reflects geographic and gender diversity.
As per WHO processes, there will now be a two-week public consultation period for WHO to receive feedback on the proposed TAG-EconECH members and set in place the modalities for the TAG-EconECH’s first meeting, which is planned to take place following this consultation period.
The final membership to the TAG-EconECH is subject to the above-mentioned public consultation period and relevant WHO practices and procedures.
Functions of the TAG-EconECH
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG-EconECH shall have the following functions:
- To provide independent evaluation of the scientific technical and strategic aspects of the economics for environment, climate change and health, with a focus on the global Investment Case for Health, Environment and Climate Change;
- To recommend priority topics related to economic evaluation and analysis for environment, climate change and health for consideration within the Organization and/or relevant technical unit;
- To advise WHO on its economic evaluation and analysis for environment, climate change and health, especially as it relates to the global Investment Case for Health, Environment and Climate Change; and
- To review and make recommendations to WHO on disease and intervention priorities, economic models and estimates (e.g., of cost of inaction, intervention costs, economic benefits, and cost-benefits), and economic arguments for interventions addressing environmental, climatic and occupational risk factors.
WHO will be finalizing the appointment of the eleven members in the coming days following the review of comments received during their notice period.
The members are to serve in their personal capacities to represent the broad range of disciplines relevant to economics for environment, climate change and health. In evaluating the applications submitted, consideration was given to attaining an adequate distribution of technical expertise, geographical representation and gender balance.
Proposed TAG-EconECH members
Professor Stuart Batterman is Professor of Global Public Health and Professor of Civil and Water Resources Engineering at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the United States of America. This expert is from the United States of America.
Professor Laura Bojke is Professor of Health Economics at the University of York’s Centre for Health Economics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This expert is from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Professor Joan Costa-Font is Professor of Health Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This expert is from Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Dr Laure de Preux is Assistant Professor (Lecturer) of Economics in the Department of Economics and Public Policy at the Imperial College London, Business School, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This expert is from Switzerland.
Professor Olivier Deschenes is Professor of Economics at the University of California Santa Barbara, the United States of America. This expert is from Canada and the United States of America.
Professor Eli Fenichel is Knobloch Family Professor of Natural Resource Economics at Yale University, the United States of America. This expert is from the United States of America.
Professor Martin Hensher is Henry Baldwin Professorial Research Fellow in Health Systems Sustainability, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Australia. This expert is from Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Dr Yuvaraj Krishnamoorthy is Assistant Professor in Community Medicine at ESIC Medical College and Hospital, India. This expert is from India.
Dr Ashar Malik is Assistant Professor in Community Health Sciences at Aga Khan University, Pakistan. This expert is from Pakistan.
Professor Hiroaki Matsuura is Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Health Economics and Demography at Shoin University, Japan. This expert is from Japan.
Dr Bernadette O’Hare is Senior Lecturer in Global Health at the University of St Andrews, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This expert is from Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Pursuant to WHO’s rules and practices, and in order to enhance WHO’s management of conflicts of interest, as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO advisory groups involving the provision of technical advice, the names and brief biographies of the individuals selected for TAG- EconECH Membership are now disclosed for public notice and comment.
Should you wish to comment on the individuals, please send your comments to TAG-EconECH@who.int with subject, “Public comments on TAG-EconECH members”, by 20 October 2023, 17:00 CET.
WHO will treat the comments received through this public notice and comment process confidentially. Comments and perceptions brought to the attention of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and will, subject to WHO’s rules, practices, and policies, be carefully reviewed by WHO. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert and otherwise within the Organization as appropriate, with no attribution to the provider of the information. WHO, may, in its sole discretion, take appropriate action in accordance with its rules, practices, and policies, based on any information received.
Disclaimer:
In order to enhance its management of Conflicts of Interest as well as strengthen public trust and transparency in connection with WHO meetings involving the provision of technical/normative advice, the names and brief biographies of individuals (“Published Information” ) being considered for participation in such meetings are disclosed for public notice and comment.
The Published Information is provided by the experts themselves and is the sole responsibility of the individuals concerned. WHO is not responsible for the accuracy, veracity and completeness of the Published Information provided. Furthermore, in no event will WHO be responsible or liable for damages in relation to the use of, and reliance upon, the Published Information.
The comments received by WHO through the public notice and comment process are treated confidentially and their receipt will be acknowledged through a generic email notification to the sender. Comments and perceptions brought to the knowledge of WHO through this process are an integral component of WHO’s conflict of interest assessment policy and are carefully reviewed. WHO reserves the right to discuss information received through this process with the relevant expert with no attribution to the provider of such information. Upon review and assessment of the information received through this process, WHO, in its sole discretion, may take appropriate management action in accordance with its policies.
The participation of an expert in a WHO meeting does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization nor does it create a binding relationship between the expert and WHO.
The list of participating experts, a summary of relevant interests disclosed by such experts, and any appropriate mitigation measures taken by WHO relating to the management of conflicts of interests, will be reported publically in accordance with WHO practice.