Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face unique challenges in their bid for universal health coverage (UHC). These changing healthcare needs are a result of epidemiological and demographic changes, as well changes in the health financing architecture. As such, policymakers in LMICs need effective systems of selecting the most needed services and systems to determine the most appropriate ways to pay for them. This goal can be achieved through strategic purchasing and the adoption of health technology assessments (HTAs). Despite the benefits of strategic purchasing and health technology assessments (HTAs), their adoption in Africa and Asia has been hampered by a lack of political will, ineffective data systems and evidence, limited capacity, and infrastructure. The low levels of investment in building these systems in both regions make it difficult to generate the evidence needed to support the adoption of new health technologies. However, some countries on both continents have successfully adopted HTAs and strategic purchasing.
In this seminar, policymakers, researchers, and experts from Africa and Asia will discuss their experiences with HTAs and strategic purchasing on both continents. They will discuss the pros and cons of adopting these mechanisms, address challenges faced and lessons learned, and identify areas that will benefit from new research and evidence.
The featured speakers include:
• Prof. Chen Yingao, Associate Dean of the School of Public Health and Director of the Key Lab of Health Technology Assessment (National Health Commission) at Fudan University, Shanghai
• Prof. Justice Nonvignon, Professor at the School of Public Health, University of Ghana and Acting Director of the Health Economics Unit, Africa CDC
• Ipchita Bharali, Policy Associate, Center for Policy Impact in Global Health, Duke Global Health Institute
• Prof. Gavin Yamey, Hymowitz Professor of the Practice of Global Health and Public Policy, Duke Global Health Institute and Director of the Center for Policy Impact in Global Health