Methodology for Developing Household and Ambient Air Pollution Investment Cases

Methodology for Developing Household and Ambient Air Pollution Investment Cases
February 3, 2025
Investment cases in health estimate the economic burden of a disease or risk factor, and measure the costs and benefits of scaling-up interventions to reduce this burden. Alongside their economic component, investment cases provide an assessment of the policy landscape on health in a country, including policy gaps/windows, financing opportunities, and priority actions.
This Methods Note, funded by the European Union, serves as a guide for economists on how to conduct the economic modelling components of a national investment case on household and/or ambient air pollution. It describes both the data and the tools that can be used to develop such an investment case. For household air pollution investment cases, an enhanced version of WHO’s Benefits of Action to Reduce Household Air Pollution Tool is used. For ambient air pollution investment cases, the Ambient Air Pollution Tool, developed by Research Triangle Institute International, is employed. UNDP has used both these tools to develop air pollution investment cases in Ethiopia, Mongolia, and India. The primary audience for this Note comprises individuals involved in, or supporting, the development of an investment case on ambient and/or household air pollution. It may also interest policymakers who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the tools and approaches used in developing an air pollution investment case.
Other UNDP products designed to support countries in their efforts in addressing the health burden from pollution include the Operational Guide for Legal Environment Assessment for Health and Pollution and Pollution and Health: Guidance Note for Parliamentarian Action.