NICE International, at the invitation of ENFARMA, the national drugs company of Ecuador, and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, met with Ecuadorian policy makers, including the Ministry of Health and the Ministry for Coordination of public programmes, over two days in Quito.

We shared experiences in relation to quality standards and economic evaluation, pricing of pharmaceuticals and guideline development. Ecuador is progressing fast towards Universal Coverage and is faced with the challenge of ensuring efficiency and quality, especially as the burden of chronic disease is on the rise.

The Ecuadorian authorities have carried out comparative effectiveness analyses for vaccines and medications using the best available evidence as well as international guidance adapted to the Ecuadorian setting. We look forward to working together and with the broader Latin American Countries (LAC) networks including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Reunion de la Red de Evaluacion de Tecnologias en Salud de las Americas (RedETSA), to support capacity building and research initiatives and establish a long-term institutional partnership with our Ecuadorian colleagues.