This policy brief provides a summary of a recent review of the definition of rare diseases, high cost and how HTA has been used in the case of rare diseases in seven countries. The countries were purposively selected based on them having established HTA policies and availability of resources in the

I have had the unique opportunity to be an international fellow with Thailand’s Health Interventions and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) for the last five months between February and June 2015. While the task of chronicling the invaluable experiences I have gained in this short time is a daunt

Universal Health Compassion for Universal Health CoverageThai efforts to help Indonesia take efficient steps towards UHCJakarta: As we fly over the clear blue Java Sea, I notice the sand from a few scattered islands sloping into the clear waters. I glance again towards my right shoulder at the trave

How do decision-makers in Thailand decide whether a new or improved vaccine should be added to the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)?What is the vaccine prioritization and selection processes in Thailand?How can the product preferences of low and middle-income countries (LMICS) be better commun

My purpose of coming to Thailand was initially as an economics exchange student at Thammasat University for one semester. During my time here, I was also looking to pursue something professionally, whether it was through a volunteering opportunity or internship. Coming from the University of Washing

On 21st September 2020, HITAP joined representatives of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Thailand and the National Health Security Office (NHSO) at the Kenyan Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Fund Taskforce meeting chaired by Mr. Geoffrey Malombe from National Treasury and Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, Ch

Cervical cancer is a global public health problem, with approximately 500,000 new cases are identified each year globally. The disease is the most common cancer in women in the developing world and its mortality is very high–nearly 300,000 per year, 80% of which are in resource-poor settings. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been proven as a major

Introduction: Cervical cancer is a major cause of deaths in female in low- and middle-income countries. The disease is preventable by introducing screening tests such as Pap smears, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and HPV DNA testing. Recently, the first vaccine against human papillomavirus (HPV) was introduced to the health care market t

HITAP was invited to attend the “Strengthening Health and Disease Modelling for Public Health Decision Making” organised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Wellcome on June 7–8, 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda. It brought together 110 virtual and on-site attendees, with 76 on-site modellers,

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and represents a significant global health concern. Infectious agents can be easily spread through respiratory droplets, and TB patients face a significant risk of mortality. The traditional sputum-based TB