Research Fellow
Overview
Dr. Charles Okafor is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Health Services Research, University of Queensland. His work involves the economic evaluation of healthcare technologies, and the application of health economics in public health and health services research. He previously worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry as a Research and Development Manager.
He holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (BPharm) from the University of Nigeria; a Master of Clinical Pharmacy degree (MPharm) from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; and a PhD in Health Economics from Griffith University.
Charles is a member of the Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi); the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcome Research (ISPOR); and the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE).
Research Impacts
Charles’ recent research focused on the economic evaluation of healthcare interventions to inform decision-making. His experience gained him an opportunity to prepare a policy brief on rotavirus vaccination scale-up for the Copenhagen Consensus Center, USA Inc. at the 2019 Global Grand Challenges Summit to identify best buys for Africa. This effort supported the rotavirus vaccine introduction in Nigeria in 2022 after publishing results in 2021. The vaccine phase-1 implementation was successful in the nineteen northern states of Nigeria where the disease burden is high. The country expects to reduce at least 40% of morbidity and mortality associated with rotavirus infections among children. Other countries yet to introduce the vaccine in sub-Saharan Africa are currently considering its introduction.
He collaborated with the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry to verify the cost-benefit of the registry to provide justification for its significant cost. The outcome of the project will ensure data quality of the registry, validity, and data analysis which will facilitate clinical improvement and safe innovation in arthroplasty surgeries.
Charles' recent project on the Maternal and Child Health Support program initiative has demonstrated the feasibility of engaging proprietary and patent medicine vendors to mitigate the high rate of under-five mortality rate in Nigeria. This initiative has been adopted as a policy but translation to practice is yet to be widely implemented.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy of Health Economics, Griffith University
Publications
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Journal Article: Achievement of therapeutic antibiotic exposures using Bayesian dosing software in critically unwell children and adults with sepsis
Chai, Gene G., Tu, Quyen, Cotta, Menino O., Bauer, Michelle J., Balch, Ross, Okafor, Charles, Comans, Tracy, Kruger, Peter, Meyer, Jason, Shekar, Kiran, Brady, Kara, Fourie, Cheryl, Sharp, Natalie, Vlad, Luminita, Whiley, David, Ungerer, Jacobus P. J., McWhinney, Brett C., Farkas, Andras, Paterson, David L., Clark, Julia E., Hajkowicz, Krispin, Raman, Sainath, Bialasiewicz, Seweryn, Lipman, Jeffrey, Forde, Brian M., Harris, Patrick N. A., Schlapbach, Luregn J., Coin, Lachlan, Roberts, Jason A. and Irwin, Adam D. (2024). Achievement of therapeutic antibiotic exposures using Bayesian dosing software in critically unwell children and adults with sepsis. Intensive Care Medicine, 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s00134-024-07353-3
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Journal Article: Cost-Consequence Analysis of Deprescribing to Optimize Health Outcomes for Frail Older People: A Within-Trial Analysis
Okafor, Charles E., Keramat, Syed Afroz, Comans, Tracy, Page, Amy T., Potter, Kathleen, Hilmer, Sarah N., Lindley, Richard I., Mangin, Dee, Naganathan, Vasi and Etherton-Beer, Christopher (2024). Cost-Consequence Analysis of Deprescribing to Optimize Health Outcomes for Frail Older People: A Within-Trial Analysis. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.12.016
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Journal Article: Cost effectiveness of strategies to manage atrial fibrillation in middle- and high-income countries: a systematic review
Okafor, Charles, Byrnes, Joshua, Stewart, Simon, Scuffham, Paul and Afoakwah, Clifford (2023). Cost effectiveness of strategies to manage atrial fibrillation in middle- and high-income countries: a systematic review. PharmacoEconomics, 41 (8), 913-943. doi: 10.1007/s40273-023-01276-5
Publications
Journal Article
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Chai, Gene G., Tu, Quyen, Cotta, Menino O., Bauer, Michelle J., Balch, Ross, Okafor, Charles, Comans, Tracy, Kruger, Peter, Meyer, Jason, Shekar, Kiran, Brady, Kara, Fourie, Cheryl, Sharp, Natalie, Vlad, Luminita, Whiley, David, Ungerer, Jacobus P. J., McWhinney, Brett C., Farkas, Andras, Paterson, David L., Clark, Julia E., Hajkowicz, Krispin, Raman, Sainath, Bialasiewicz, Seweryn, Lipman, Jeffrey, Forde, Brian M., Harris, Patrick N. A., Schlapbach, Luregn J., Coin, Lachlan, Roberts, Jason A. and Irwin, Adam D. (2024). Achievement of therapeutic antibiotic exposures using Bayesian dosing software in critically unwell children and adults with sepsis. Intensive Care Medicine, 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s00134-024-07353-3
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Okafor, Charles E., Keramat, Syed Afroz, Comans, Tracy, Page, Amy T., Potter, Kathleen, Hilmer, Sarah N., Lindley, Richard I., Mangin, Dee, Naganathan, Vasi and Etherton-Beer, Christopher (2024). Cost-Consequence Analysis of Deprescribing to Optimize Health Outcomes for Frail Older People: A Within-Trial Analysis. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.12.016
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Okafor, Charles, Byrnes, Joshua, Stewart, Simon, Scuffham, Paul and Afoakwah, Clifford (2023). Cost effectiveness of strategies to manage atrial fibrillation in middle- and high-income countries: a systematic review. PharmacoEconomics, 41 (8), 913-943. doi: 10.1007/s40273-023-01276-5
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Okafor, Charles Ebuka, Nghiem, Son and Byrnes, Joshua (2023). One-stage revision versus debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) for acute prosthetic knee infection: an exploratory cohort study. Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, 143 (9), 1-6. doi: 10.1007/s00402-023-04891-1
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Nduka, Ifeoma Jovita, Ejie, Izuchukwu Loveth, Okafor, Charles Ebuka, Eleje, George Uchenna and Ekwunife, Obinna Ikechukwu (2023). Interventions to increase mammography screening uptake among women living in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review. BMJ Open, 13 (2) e066928, 1-9. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066928
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Okafor, Charles E., Nghiem, Son and Byrnes, Joshua (2023). Is 2-Stage Septic Revision Worth the Money? A Cost-Utility Analysis of a 1-Stage Versus 2-Stage Septic Revision of Total Knee Arthroplasty. Journal of Arthroplasty, 38 (2), 347-354. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2022.09.003
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Okafor, Charles Ebuka, Nghiem, Son and Byrnes, Joshua (2023). Are joint replacement registries associated with burden of revision changes? A real-world panel data regression analysis. BMJ Open, 13 (1) e063472, 1-9. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063472
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Nduka, Ifeoma Jovita, Ejie, Izuchukwu Loveth, Okafor, Charles Ebuka, Eleje, George Uchenna and Ekwunife, Obinna Ikechukwu (2022). Interventions to increase mammography screening uptake among women living in low-income and middle-income countries: a protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open, 12 (3) e056901, e056901. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-056901
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Cost of septic and aseptic revision total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review
Okafor, Charles, Hodgkinson, Brent, Nghiem, Son, Vertullo, Christopher and Byrnes, Joshua (2021). Cost of septic and aseptic revision total knee arthroplasty: a systematic review. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 22 (1) 706. doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04597-8
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Introducing rotavirus vaccine in eight sub-Saharan African countries: a cost–benefit analysis
Okafor, Charles E. and Ekwunife, Obinna I. (2021). Introducing rotavirus vaccine in eight sub-Saharan African countries: a cost–benefit analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 9 (8), e1088-e1100. doi: 10.1016/s2214-109x(21)00220-5
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Ekwunife, Obinna Ikechukwu, Ofomata, Chinelo Janefrances, Okafor, Charles Ebuka, Anetoh, Maureen Ugonwa, Kalu, Stephen Okorafor, Ele, Prince Udegbunam and Eleje, George Uchenna (2021). Cost-effectiveness and feasibility of conditional economic incentives and motivational interviewing to improve HIV health outcomes of adolescents living with HIV in Anambra State, Nigeria. BMC Health Services Research, 21 (1) 685. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06718-4
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Cost of Revision Total Knee Replacement: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Okafor, Charles Ebuka, Nghiem, Son, Vertullo, Christopher and Byrnes, Joshua (2021). Cost of Revision Total Knee Replacement: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PharmacoEconomics - Open, 5 (2), 331-337. doi: 10.1007/s41669-020-00242-7
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Okafor, Charles E., Ekwunife, Obinna I. and Nduaguba, Sabina O. (2021). Promoting the integrated community case management of pneumonia in children under 5 years in Nigeria through the proprietary and patent medicine vendors: a cost-effectiveness analysis. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 19 (1) 12. doi: 10.1186/s12962-021-00265-9
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Correction to: Introducing Rotavirus Vaccination in Nigeria: Economic Evaluation and Implications
Okafor, Charles Ebuka (2021). Correction to: Introducing Rotavirus Vaccination in Nigeria: Economic Evaluation and Implications. PharmacoEconomics - Open, 5 (3), 559-559. doi: 10.1007/s41669-021-00258-7
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Introducing rotavirus vaccination in Nigeria: economic evaluation and implications
Okafor, Charles Ebuka (2021). Introducing rotavirus vaccination in Nigeria: economic evaluation and implications. PharmacoEconomics - Open, 5 (3), 545-557. doi: 10.1007/s41669-020-00251-6
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Okafor, Charles E. (2020). Management of Chest Indrawing Pneumonia in Children Under Five Years at the Outpatient Health Facilities in Nigeria: An Economic Evaluation. Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 19 (3), 429-437. doi: 10.1007/s40258-020-00627-z
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Okafor, Charles E. and Ekwunife, Obinna I. (2017). Cost-effectiveness analysis of diarrhoea management approaches in Nigeria: A decision analytical model. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 11 (12), e0006124. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006124
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Okafor, C. E., Onunka, O. and Idoko, L. N. (2017). Cost-utility of burns management in Nigeria: a case study of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu. Annals of burns and fire disasters, 30 (1), 9-12.
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Cost-utility analysis of antihypertensive medications in Nigeria: a decision analysis
Ekwunife, Obinna Ikechukwu, Okafor, Charles E., Ezenduka, Charles C. and Udeogaranya, Patrick O. (2013). Cost-utility analysis of antihypertensive medications in Nigeria: a decision analysis. Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 11 (1) 2. doi: 10.1186/1478-7547-11-2
