Returns on investment in public health: comments on the report by applied economics

The purpose of the report by Applied Economics was to determine whether or not the community’s expenditures on public health have been justified by the benefits obtained from them. Additionally, however the study extends the time frame and, on the basis of the historical evidence, seeks to determine the ‘return’ on current investment in public health to the year 2010. The report does not consider further investment in public health. Only benefits obtained from current expenditures are projected into the future. For example, the community will continue to receive benefits for some years from vaccinations administered in 2000, and these benefits are included in the study. However the estimated benefits and costs of vaccinations administered after 2000 are not considered.