NICE International has been providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) at central and state level since 2009. Through the International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI) it is active in three areas: 1. Health Technology Assessment Under the terms of the partnership MoU between NICE and the MoHFW Department of Health Research (DHR), and linking to the …
Workshop to develop quality standards for antimicrobial resistance in Hanoi
In December 2015 Dr Francoise Cluzeau, NICE International travelled to Hanoi for the second in a series of workshops for the UK/Vietnam Partner Driven Collaboration entitled “Towards an evidence based National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Vietnam”. This collaboration aims to create an evidence informed methodology and governed working processes to develop and implement policies and guidelines for controlling AMR in Vietnam. It …
Towards an evidence-based National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in Vietnam
Since August 2015, NICE International, an iDSI core partner, has been involved in a two-year collaboration to develop the existing National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Vietnam, funded by the Newton Fund. This project brings together the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, National Hospital for Tropical Diseases, and the Health Strategy and Policy Institute (HSPI) with the Oxford University …
NICE International acknowledged in joint statement from British and Indian Prime Ministers
On 12 November 2015, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and British Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledged the valuable work of one of iDSI’s partners, NICE International in a joint statement. The following except from the statement relates to NICE International’s collaboration with the Indian council for medical research (ICMR), and the Department of Health Research, India, as part of …
Mahidol University and NICE commit to strengthening HTA capacity
NICE and Mahidol University, Thailand’s leading university, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue further collaboration under the international Decision Support Initiative (iDSI). The collaboration will support the establishment of a new postgraduate programme and scholarships on health technology assessment. This will ultimately strengthen and sustain capacity for HTA research and implementation, and support universal health coverage in low- and …
HTAsiaLink 7th newsletter features iDSI
The Jul-Dec 2015 edition of the the Reference Case for Economic Evaluation, as well a special interview with Prof Tony Culyer on the role of universities in capacity building for HTA. Read the HTAsiaLink newsletter
179 LMICs, 1 iDSI: Where do we start? Setting priorities in international development
Priority-setting is important for all countries, regardless of level of economic development, if the goal is to achieve and sustain universal health coverage (UHC). One year ago in Geneva, the World Health Assembly endorsed a resolution on Health Intervention and Technology Assessment (HITA), calling on member countries to support each other in strengthening institutional and technical capacity for priority-setting. The …
The NICE threshold: How much is too much? Who decides?
Prof Karl Claxton, University of York, and colleagues have argued that NICE is advising the UK National Health Service “to pay too much” for new drugs. NICE typically recommends treatments for use in the NHS where their cost-effectiveness falls below the threshold of around £20,000 and £30,000 per QALY gained (quality-adjusted life year). New research led by Claxton suggests that paying more …
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 …
Finding the true north of evidence-based policy development
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 …