Economic effectiveness of training personnel for infectious disease response and improving information systems in Republic of Korea: a cost-benefit analysis

Objectives: This study assessed the economic value of 2 major initiatives within the national infectious disease response system of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA): the Training Programs for Public Health Workforce (TPPHW) and the Infectious Disease Information System (IDIS). Methods: We developed a structured estimation model to quantify the economic benefits of pandemic preparedness investments and applied it to the KDCA's TPPHW and IDIS. The model incorporated parameters elicited from 29 senior officials into a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) framework, from which we calculated the net present value (NPV) and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) over a 10-year period, with sensitivity analyses. Results: Both initiatives yielded positive net benefits under baseline assumptions, although the margin was substantially greater for workforce training than for the information system. At the assumed discount rate of 4.5%, the CBA yielded a BCR of 2.120 and an NPV of 27.2 billion Korean won (KRW) for TPPHW. For IDIS, the corresponding values were a BCR of 1.071 and an NPV of 2.7 billion KRW. Sensitivity analysis showed that workforce training remained economically justified across all scenarios, whereas the information system remained viable only under more favorable assumptions. Conclusion: This study contributes to the literature by systematically applying CBA to infectious disease preparedness in the Republic of Korea. The findings support continued investment in skilled workforce training and integrated information infrastructure for future pandemic preparedness. The study is limited by its reliance on expert-elicited parameters and its focus on monetary benefits, excluding health outcomes such as disability-adjusted life years and quality-of-life improvements.