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Today, 3rd August, 2021, The Ministry of
Health has launched the Ghana Strategy for Health Technology Assessment.
This event was attended by dignitaries in person and by
virtual means, some of these dignitaries are, the chief director of the
ministry of health, the director general of the Ghana Health service, head of
agencies of the Ministry of Health, directors and officers from MoH, The chair
of the national medicines selection committee, policy and clinical experts,
development partners among others.
In addressing the audience, the deputy minister Hon.
Alhaji Asei Seini Mahama on behalf of the Hon. Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu noted
that, Health Technology Assessment is the systematic evaluation of properties,
effects and impacts of health technologies through a multi-disciplinary process
that evaluates the social, economic, organizational and ethical issues of a health
intervention or health technology.
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He stated that, Health Technology Assessment was first
quoted over 30 years ago in WHO, as a way to strengthen evidence-based
selection and rational use of health technologies as well as increase
efficiency when introducing and using these technologies in health care.
The Hon. Deputy Minister indicates that, “In 2013, WHO
publications and Resolutions indicate that HTA is a tool to further advance the
implementation of Universal Health Coverage in terms of deciding who should be
getting which intervention and at what cost”.
He further noted that, the importance of HTA in
support of universal health coverage, led to a resolution of the World Health
Assembly which was approved during the 67th World Health Assembly.
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He said, the main purpose of conducting HTA is to inform
policy decision mechanisms. Decision making within the policy process encompasses
the application of organized knowledge and skills to decisions on medicines,
medical devices, vaccines, procedures and systems developed to solve a health
problem and improve quality of life.
Hon. Alhaji Asei Seini Mahama on behalf on the
Minister said that, the National health Insurance Scheme is a logical
beneficiary of the positive impact of Health Technology Assessment on the
health system in Ghana.
He said the HTA would be given the needed strategic
direction to ensure that the effective governance is delivered.
He also stated that, in addition to the interventions
on VAT exemptions, the Ministry of Health has setup a National Medicines
Pricing Committee which would oversee the implementation of the new medicines
pricing regime under the National Medicines Policy.
He added that, the committee would collaborate with
the HTA technical committee to ensure synergy of effort and also hoping that the
mutual investments in this important activity would sustain the gains made in
ensuring optimization of policy decisions as well as the rational and
cost-effective use of medicines for all persons living in Ghana.
The deputy minister noted that, the HTA has already
begun to demonstrate value addition in assessing value in changing from
amoxicillin suspension to dispersible tablets, assessment of the cost
components of the COVID-19 vaccination plan among others.
The minister thanked all partners and declare the Ghana
Strategy for Health Technology Assessment duly launched and wish everyone
successful implementation.