India HTA and topic selection workshops – reports now available

At the direct request of the government of India, iDSI is providing hands-on, technical support to policy and decision makers to engage in more effective allocation of health resources through implementing a system of health technology assessment (HTA) in India. This mandate to establish an effective system of HTA through the creation of a medical technology advisory board (MTAB) was allocated to the Department of Health Research (DHR)  in the 12^th 5 year plan with the intention to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of health services.

From 25th – 27th July 2016, a workshop was jointly convened by DHR, Government of India, The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and iDSI partners: Imperial College’s Global Health and Development Group and HITAP, to raise awareness of this initiative to institutionalise HTA in India.

• The first day of the workshop brought policy makers, academics, health practitioners, and public and private health insurance providers together to discuss the initiative and how it can be best implemented to support India’s Universal Health Coverage Agenda. Read the HTA workshop report here.
• Days two and three were run as a participatory workshop exploring the process for topic selection for HTA in India. Participants generated ideas on how topics could be identified and prioritised, how different stakeholders could be involved and the process for final topic selection. Read the topic selection workshop report here.