Health technology assessment capacity at national level in sub-Saharan Africa: an initial survey of stakeholders

About this activity

Many countries have committed to universal health coverage (UHC) in the context of the sustainable development goals. Health technology assessment (HTA) provides a structured approach to synthesising evidence of clinical and cost effectiveness to inform priority-setting activities. Institutionalised HTA systems involve active participation from a range of stakeholdersn Course Objective Health technology assessment (HTA) is an effective tool to support priority setting (PS) in health. Stakeholder groups need to understand HTA appropriate to their role and to interpret and critique the evidence produced. We aimed to rapidly assess current health system priorities and policy areas of demand for HTA in Sub-Saharan Africa, and identify key gaps in data and skills to inform targeted capacity building.. We revised an existing survey, delivered it to 357 participants, then analysed responses and explored key themes.. There were 51 respondents (14%) across 14 countries. HTA was considered an important and valuable PS tool with a key role in the design of health benefits packages, clinical guideline development, and service improvement. Medicines were identified as a technology type that would especially benefit from the application of HTA. Using HTA to address safety issues (e.g. low-quality medicines) and value for money concerns was particularly highlighted. The perceived...