Professor Mark Jit visits Melbourne Health Economics
We were honoured to welcome Professor Mark Jit to Melbourne Health Economics last week for a visit that brought together researchers from across our units to exchange ideas, strengthen collaborations, and explore new directions in health economics research. Professor Jit is the inaugural chair and a professor in the Department of Global and Environmental Health at New York University and former head of the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Dynamics and co- director of the Global Health Economics Centre (GHECO) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).
As part of his visit, Professor Jit delivered a seminar on “The broader economic impact of vaccines: current developments”. He walked us through a brief history of the economic evaluations of vaccination and the value of health. Prof Jit also highlighted the importance of capturing the broader benefits of vaccines. His talk sparked considerable interest and discussion among attendees, reinforcing the value of taking a comprehensive perspective in the evidence supporting vaccine decision-making. The seminar was well received, with a strong attendance both in person and online.
A dedicated roundtable session on incorporating equity into economic evaluations was another highlight of the visit. The session brought together members of our team working on methodological and applied approaches to equity-informed decision-making. Early-career researchers presented their ongoing projects for feedback from Professor Jit, fostering a supportive environment for critical reflection and idea generation.
Throughout the visit, Professor Jit met individually with our units and researchers providing a unique opportunity for in-depth discussions and future collaboration.
We are grateful to Professor Jit for his generosity, thoughtful engagement, and continued commitment to building global capacity in vaccine economics and equity-informed vaccine policy. His visit has left a lasting impression on our team, and we look forward to continuing this dialogue into the future.