‘HTA Will Provide A Roadmap To Set The Priorities Within The Country’

The Ministers of State for Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mrs. Anupriya Patel, the Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. B.P. Sharma and other dignitaries at the inauguration of the DHR-ICMR- iDSI International Workshop on ‘Health Technology Assessment-Awareness and Topic Selection’, in New Delhi on July 25, 2016.

HTA Will Help To Resolve Questions Of Cost Effectiveness

New Delhi (PIB-GR-TYP-BIN): Mr. Faggan Singh Kulaste and Smt Anupriya Patel, Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the international workshop on ‘Health Technology Assessment (HTA)’, on July 25.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Secretary, Department of Health Research noted that HTA is needed to take forward the SDGs. She stated that HTA will provide a roadmap to set the priorities within the country for promotive, preventive and curative services in Healthcare. HTA is essential for making universal health coverage sustainable and effective, he added. Dr. Swaminathan said that HTA will provide a transparent, consultative process of decision making that is based on evidences and provides inputs to policymakers for providing universal health services that are affordable, appropriate and effective.

Mr. B P Sharma, Secretary (HFW) mentioned that HTA will go a long way in formulating health plans at affordable prices. Secretary (HFW) added that HTA has been a game-changer since the last decade and has resulted in significantly reducing morbidity and mortality in several countries that have adopted it. He further added that HTA will help to resolve questions of cost effectiveness and in bringing down the out of pocket expenditure through evidence-based technology and health practices. He highlighted the need for a structural process where all available knowledge is used for an informed decision-making. He also mentioned that MTAB would support the capacity building initiatives of the Ministry and provide a platform to disseminate information to all stakeholders.

(Source: PIB/GR/TYP/BIN/USPA/WN/IAIJ)