Biography

Dr. Saima Arif is a health economist specializing in quantitative analysis, economic evaluation, and policy evaluation. Her research focuses on cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), decision-analytic modelling, and budget impact assessments, with applications in infectious diseases, chronic conditions, and healthcare interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). She has extensive experience in statistical modelling, resource allocation, and health system efficiency analysis to support evidence-based policymaking. As part of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Greater Manchester (ARC-GM), her work contributes to shaping healthcare policies by integrating advanced econometric methods and data-driven evaluations to inform sustainable health interventions.

Expertise

TB Diagnostics
Public Health

Key Impacts

An extended cost-effectiveness and benefit incidence analysis of decentralised TB diagnostic testing with Molbio Truenat MTB/RIF vs. hub-and-spoke GeneXpert MTB/RIF in Mozambique and Tanzania

Decentralized POC TB testing using Truenat is both cost-saving for patients and more effective in increasing treatment initiation. The intervention demonstrated a pro-poor distribution of benefits, supporting its potential to improve access and equity in TB care across LMICs.

Source: Conference 2024