Issakov A; Health Technology Assessment International. Meeting (2nd : 2005 : Rome, Italy).
Ital J Public Health. 2005; 2: 55.
Coordinator for Health Technology and Facilities Planning, Department of Health System Policies and Operations, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland
Although the importance of HTA as a crucial pathway between scientific evidence and practice is being increasingly recognised, the capacity for undertaking HTA and applying evidence thus generated in many developing and transitional countries remains generally weak. At the same time, there are many successful examples of establishing an effective institutional and human resource HTA capacity that usefully contributes to evidence-based health policy development, decision-making, management and practice. The international community is playing an important role and has gone a long way in promoting HTA and facilitating its introduction and use in countries, particularly those with limited capacity to tap on the potential of HTA in bearing on their priority health problems. WHO since early 1990s places a high emphasis on supporting these efforts aiming at bringing together key stakeholders in one concerted action. Over the years, a number of initiatives has been developed with professional associations such as ISTAHC and then HTAi, INAHTA and other leading international and national HTA agencies, WHO Collaborating Centres, donor and technical assistance organisations, development banks, and other partners. In addition to the experience presented at this session by HTA "champions" from some of WHO Regions, there are more success stories from other countries and parts of the world such as, for example, in Latin America with a strong input from the WHO Regional Office/Pan American Health Organization, or in South Africa. Recently, WHO has undertaken several studies to document various national and regional experiences, availability and use of HTA tools, and HTA-related activities of WHO Collaborating Centres, thus continuously building a knowledge base on international HTA resources. The specific contexts, goals and outcomes of various national experiences may vary, as well as each organisation working internationally may have its unique strength, priority activity areas or geographical focus. But together these constitute a tremendous wealth of knowledge to learn from, and huge potential for building a comprehensive concerted global action directed towards creating a conductive policy and institutional environment for HTA, and establishing country capacity for undertaking HTA or effectively utilizing HTA knowledge available internationally. There is an urgent need and still and ample space for further improvement and strengthening of joint activities by all international and national stakeholders ensuring better coordination, sharing of expertise and resources, and complementing unique added value of all individual players, if we all share the goal of HTA becoming part and parcel of daily decision-making and management practice with particular emphasis on countries still legging behind.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Federal Government
- Government Agencies
- Health Policy
- Health Resources
- Humans
- Latin America
- Policy Making
- South Africa
- manpower
- hsrmtgs
UI: 103140968
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