Strengthening HTA agencies in Asia: Learning and sharing experiences for the APO Policy Brief Meeting

Dec. 19, 2014

By Alia Luz, Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) With the introduction of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Asian countries, priority-setting and HTA has become increasingly important.  However, only in the past decade has HTA been used to inform countries’ health programs and policies. As such, HTA agencies are relatively new in Asia.  In 2007, the Health Intervention and …

Combating the global increase of chronic diseases with effective policies: International Forum on Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) as a Priority Health Topic in Asia

By: Alia Luz, Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) In 2007, there were an estimated 58 million deaths worldwide and, according to the WHO, more than half (35 million) were caused by chronic diseases. Another study estimates that deaths caused by chronic diseases will rise to 50 million in 2020. The economic burden of these diseases is enormous. By …

An American pre-medical student explores Universal Health Coverage…

Oct. 6, 2014

This is a guest post by Moriah Pollock-Hawthorne, Haverford University. I was an intern at NICE International and an American university student with aspirations to become a doctor. In an effort to learn about universal health coverage and experience a single-payer healthcare system in action, I came to England; I shadowed doctors in NHS clinics, sat in on technology appraisal meetings …

Why do (and should) we do economic evaluation?

By Tony Culyer

Every healthcare system in the world has to set priorities and make choices. Economic evaluation, in the context of health technology assessment, provides the decision makers with a framework for assessing the costs and benefits of various competing options, to inform fair and efficient use of limited healthcare resources. Prof Tony Culyer explains in this presentation: Why do we do economic …

The Power of HTA: an animation

In health systems, although there are many stakeholders with different interests (healthcare practitioners, policymakers, industry, patients and the public), many share the value of better health for all. However, when a decision needs to be made, it is not easy for them to agree or talk together constructively. Will there be any way to help them talk together constructively and to …

A potential indicator for measuring the success of HTA development

By Nattha Tritasavit, Chalarntorn Yothasmutra Aug. 19, 2014

One day I was perusing the news and came across an article about the inclusion of five new high-cost drugs in the Thai benefits package. Unbeknownst to me, the Thai Universal Health Coverage (UHC) released a news article in all domestic newspapers informing the public that the Director-General of the National Health Security Office (NHSO), which manages UHC, claimed that …

Finding the true north of evidence-based policy development

By Nattha Tritasavit Jul. 30, 2014

Finding true north is important for accurate navigation to embarking on the right path. While there may be many paths to making policy decisions, the ultimate goal is to end up with a decision that has been well-informed by evidence. Evidenced-based policy decisions result in more transparent and effective outcomes that are defendable to the public. A case in point …

Prof David Haslam, Chair of NICE, speaks at the 67th World Health Assembly in support of priority-setting for UHC

Jun. 20, 2014

At the 67th World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 2014, a resolution was adopted on Health intervention and technology assessment in support of universal health coverage. Prof David Haslam, Chair of NICE, representing the UK Mission Geneva, addressed the Assembly during a panel session on the role of priority-setting in universal health coverage, alongside counterparts from Thailand, Iran, Ethiopia and …

iDSI launches global public good: questionnaire on priority-setting readiness

Jun. 16, 2014

iDSI aims to help policymakers in low and middle income countries in building capacity for active priority-setting, such that they can spend limited health budgets in a more efficient and equitable way, and achieve sustainable universal health coverage (UHC). In order to help achieve iDSI this aim, we at NICE International have developed a questionnaire to assess countries’ ‘priority-setting readiness’. We believe this …

Event on 17 June, Washington DC: Improving the Use of Economic Evaluation for Global Health Funders

Jun. 12, 2014

As part of a series of events coinciding with the launch of the Gates Reference Case, Tommy Wilkinson (Adviser for Health Economics, NICE International) will be speaking on Tuesday 17 June 2014 at a lunch seminar hosted by the Center for Global Development, Washington DC. If you missed our launch event in London or are attending the HTAi conference, here’s your chance to find …