Methodological Evaluation of Public Health Surveillance Systems in South Africa Using Quasi-Experimental Design for Cost-Effectiveness Assessment

Public health surveillance systems in South Africa are critical for monitoring disease outbreaks and managing healthcare resources efficiently. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the methodologies employed in evaluating these systems, including their application of quasi-experimental designs for measuring cost-effectiveness. Findings indicate that while many studies use quasi-experimental designs, there is a lack of standardised protocols and robust statistical models across different research contexts. The review highlights the need for standardising methodologies to ensure consistency in evaluating public health surveillance systems' effectiveness. Recommendation for future research includes the adoption of consistent quasi-experimental design frameworks with appropriate statistical modelling to enhance comparability and robustness of cost-effectiveness assessments. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.