The more controversial of two papers describing how the lethal H5N1 bird flu could be made easier to spread was published Thursday, six months after a scientific advisory board suggested that the papers’ most potentially dangerous data be censored.The paper, by scientists at Erasmus Medical Center i

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities within national health systems, including in vaccine delivery and distribution. This has underscored the vital importance of having in place effective vaccination strategies and the need to strengthen national and regional capabilities in the fi

Summary The COVID-19 pandemic is unlikely to end until there is global roll-out of vaccines that protect against severe disease and preferably drive herd immunity. Regulators in numerous countries have authorised or approved COVID-19 vaccines for human use, with more expected to be licensed in 20

The past few years have seen significant progress in the development of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in China. The China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC), the national focal point for HTA in China, has stepped up efforts to roll out HTA activities in many ways in order to s

Partners from the International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI) join the 2nd China Health Technology Assessment Conference organised by the China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC) on 26-27 October 2019 in Beijing, China. The event brings together China’s high-level representati

Chotika Suwanpanich is a researcher at the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP), Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Silpakorn University and has knowledge and experience in health economics, economic evaluations, and impact assessments of health interventions.Chotika has worked o

This report aims to describe the study visit of researchers at Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore who are undertaking cost of illness studies on enteric fever and rotavirus vaccines in India at the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP). HITAP, known regionally for suppor

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the most pressing public health challenges worldwide. It occurs when antimicrobials—such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and antiparasitics—become ineffective against microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. This resistance can le

Abstract Background The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed the Total System Effectiveness (TSE) framework to assist national policy-makers in prioritizing vaccines. The pilot was launched in Thailand to explore the potential use of TSE in a country with established governance struct

The Thai government implemented COVID-19 booster vaccines to prevent morbidity and mortality during the spreading of the Omicron variant. However, little is known about which types of vaccine should be invested in as the booster dose for the Thai population. This study aims to investigate the most c