How Will India and Sri Lanka Enhance Health Technology Assessment?
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New Delhi, Feb 10 (NationPress) The five-day workshop on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) between India and Sri Lanka marks a pivotal moment in healthcare diplomacy and the exchange of HTA knowledge, highlighting India's dedication to enhancing regional health initiatives, as stated by senior officials.
This knowledge-sharing workshop on HTA officially began at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, organized by the Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs.
The workshop's goal is to create a strategic framework for promoting and institutionalizing HTA in Sri Lanka, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Dr. Rajiv Bahl, Secretary of DHR and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), greeted the attendees and led the inaugural session.
As per a statement from the ministry, Anu Nagar, Additional Secretary of DHR, underscored the significant contributions of HTAIn (Health Technology Assessment in India) to India's healthcare framework, expressing optimism that this exchange of knowledge will aid in establishing HTA in Sri Lanka.
The official statement further noted that HTAIn is crucial for evaluating healthcare technologies and ensuring cost-effective, evidence-driven health interventions throughout India.
“The workshop will encompass a diverse array of subjects, such as HTA institutional frameworks, governance, methodologies, pricing, and procurement decisions,” it continued.
The objectives include discovering potential collaborative initiatives to enhance HTA capabilities and systems in both countries.
To promote transparent and evidence-informed decision-making in health, the government has established a framework named Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIn) under the Department of Health Research (DHR).
HTAIn is tasked with compiling and, when necessary, generating evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and safety of medicines, devices, and health programs utilizing the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) methodology.