Journal of Economic Literature
Book Reviews
2026-08-28
Ajay Mahal of Harvard University reviews “The Economics of Infectious Disease” by Jennifer A. Roberts,. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Nineteen papers introduce economists to the major challenges of work in infectious disease, including the most important professions, concepts, terminology, and methodological approaches. Discusses an introduction to the economics of infectious disease; choosing the first-line drug for malaria treatment--how cost-effectiveness analysis can inform policy; economic issues related to antimicrobial resistance; economic evaluation of HIV prevention activities--dynamic challenges for cost-effectiveness analysis; modeling the cost-effectiveness of the new interventions--how technological change can be incorporated; complexity and the attribution of cost to hospital-acquired infection (HAI); decision analysis of strategies to deal with noncompliance with tuberculosis treatment; the economic evaluation of HAI; the socioeconomic burden of influenza--costs of illness and “willingness to pay” in a publicly funded health care system; willingness to pay for insecticide-treated mosquito nets in Surat, India; disentangling value--assessing the benefits of containing antimicrobial resistance; economics of animal health--implications for public health; risk assessment models, economic analysis, and food safety policy; transaction cost economics and principal-agent theory--insights into investigations of outbreaks of infectious diseases; governance arrangements for the control of infectious disease; evaluating U.S. food safety regulations which use benefit and cost information; global governance of international public health--the role of international regulatory cooperation; trade and infectious disease outbreaks--ensuring public health… Index.”