Training Details
Category
Course
Date
22-26 July 2024
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
Duration
5 days
Mode
In-Person
About This Course
The University of Nairobi Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA), in collaboration with Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) in Thailand and Imperial College London, concluded its 5-day, in-person introductory training on Health Technology Assessment (HTA) on Friday 26th July. The event, hosted at the University of Nairobi Towers, left participants inspired and equipped with vital skills for the future of healthcare decision-making.
It brought together an eclectic mix of healthcare managers, public health professionals, researchers, and postgraduate students. The training aimed to equip stakeholders with systematic, reproducible HTA processes for transparency and accountability.
Key Features
Evidence shows that when available health services are expensive and financial protection is inadequate, many vulnerable people are pushed into deep poverty following catastrophic expenditures due to seeking healthcare
Social health insurance is a viable option where people contribute to the insurance fund translating out-of-pocket payments to prepayment
This provides greater financial protection through risk sharing and pooling of funds, and ensures equitable coverage and access to health services to large populations
HTA helps determine what interventions or technologies provide good value for money for the health sector
The process is participatory and involves not just the government, but also civil societies
Focus Areas
Understanding the fundamental principles of HTA and its role in healthcare decision-making
Learning systematic, reproducible HTA processes for transparency and accountability
Exploring the evolution of HTA, highlighting epidemiological, economic, and social methodologies
Examining real-world case studies and practical implementation strategies
Incorporating social, ethical, and equity considerations into assessment processes
Developing strategies for long-term success and identifying implementation challenges
Learning to collaborate across disciplines - health economics, epidemiology, and bioethics
Expert Facilitators
Dr. Tabitha Okech - Health Technology Assessment specialist at CEMA
Dr. Saudamini Dabak - Head of the International Unit at HITAP
Dr. Panchanok Muenkaew - Associate at HITAP
Prof. Thumbi Mwangi - Co-director at CEMA
Who Should Attend
Healthcare managers, public health professionals, researchers, and postgraduate students. The training deliberately incorporated stakeholders from various fields to think beyond just numbers because life does not work only in numbers. We appreciate that there are ethical issues, social issues, and legal issues that must be part of this inclusive HTA process.
Partner Organizations
University of Nairobi Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA)
Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) - Thailand
Imperial College London
Background
Kenya is on a journey towards Universal Health coverage. This will require development of health systems that provide equitable access to health services for all citizens. Additional resources will be required to meet this goal. However, many times, countries are not able to fund all the health interventions through health insurance. Determining what to include in the health benefits packages given the existing budget limitations, may be of priority. These priorities may be set based on criteria such as burden of disease, equity considerations and the budget impact of reimbursing the health technologies/interventions.
Additional Information
Training Methodology
The sessions blended historical insights and hands-on learning, providing a comprehensive understanding of HTA's role in healthcare. The facilitators were experts in epidemiology, data, and HTA processes, and used various methods, from lectures to practical sessions. Participants explored the evolution of HTA, highlighting the epidemiological, economic, and social methodologies crucial for healthcare decision-making.
Technical Support Available
CEMA has highly skilled personnel who can help gather evidence required by stakeholders in HTA processes. If there is a need for epidemiological modelling, economic modelling, equity questions, or ethics issues concerning adopting health technologies, whether new or old, CEMA can use data to inform that decision and provide technical assistance.
Venue Details
University of Nairobi Towers
