Launch of the jointly developed Health Technology Assessment compendium
WHO Country Office for India in collaboration with National Health Systems Resource Center (NHSRC) and Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre (HTIC) is organizing the 4th International Fellowship on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in Chennai from 28 July to 2 August, 2014.
A large majority of the world’s population suffers because of their inability to access high quality, affordable health technologies. This problem is particularly acute in low and middle-income countries. Health technologies are critical for prevention and disease control and can significantly contribute to human well-being.
One of the cornerstones of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiative is access to essential medicines and health technologies. Medical devices, assistive devices and eHealth solutions are important components of health technologies, which have the potential to save lives and improve quality of life and well-being. These technologies can play an important role in improving public health, enhancing the quality of life and to move towards the higher agenda of UHC.
The first compendium of HTA - an evidence-based approach to technology-related policy making in health care was launched at this event. The compendium highlights the most essential health technologies required today for responding to India’s disease burden.
Jointly developed by the NHSRC, New Delhi and the WHO Country Office for India, the compendium is a critical step towards identifying and consequently filling the technology gaps in the public health sector.
The HTA compendium is an outcome of the fellowship programme organized by NHSRC and WHO India in 2012-13. Over the last two years more than 200 professionals have been trained under the HTA fellowship programmes.
This fellowship programme is run under the aegis of the Healthcare Technology Innovation Centre, a joint research and development initiative of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, especially to address the unmet need for affordable and accessible healthcare technologies in the country. This unique fellowship brings together engineers, researchers, healthcare professionals, industry experts, and government to form a vibrant and fertile innovative ecosystem for HTA.
Dr Prakesh Shah, Professor and Clinical epidemiologist, Mount Sinai hospital, Dr Sanjeev Kumar, Executive Director - NHSRC, Dr Jitendar Sharma, Program Director - HTA and Dr Mohansankar Sivaprakasam, Director HTIC were present during the inauguration along with senior government officials, policymakers, international organizations, academicians, NGOs, legal fraternity, and health experts.