134th session Agenda item 9.6
EB134.R14 24 January 2014
Health intervention and technology assessment in support of universal health coverage The Executive Board, Having considered the report on health intervention and technology assessment in support of universal health coverage, 1 RECOMMENDS to the Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly the adoption of the following resolution: The Sixty-seventh World Health Assembly, Recalling World Health Assembly resolutions WHA52.19 on revised drug strategy, WHA58.33 on sustainable health financing, universal coverage and social health insurance, WHA60.16 on progress in the rational use of medicines, WHA60.29 on health technologies, WHA63.21 on WHO’s role and responsibilities in health research, and WHA64.9 on sustainable health financing structures and universal coverage; Recognizing the importance of evidence-based policy development and decision-making in health systems, including decisions on resource allocation, service system designs and translation of policies into practice, as well as reaffirming the roles and responsibilities of the World Health Organization in provision of support to strengthen information systems and health research capacity, and their utilization in Member States; Noting that the efficient use of resources is a crucial factor in the sustainability of health systems’ performance, especially when significant increases in access to essential medicines, including generic medicines, to medical devices and procedures, and to other health care interventions for promotion, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care are pursued by Member States, as they move towards universal health coverage; Noting that The world health report 20102 indicates that as much as 40% of spending on health is being wasted and that there is, therefore, an urgent need for systematic, effective solutions to reduce such inefficiencies and to enhance the rational use of health technology;
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Document EB134/30.
The world health report 2010. Health systems financing: the path to universal coverage. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2010.
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Acknowledging the critical role of independent health intervention and technology assessment, as multidisciplinary policy research, in generating evidence to inform prioritization, selection, introduction, distribution, and management of interventions for health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and rehabilitation and palliation; Emphasizing that with rigorous and structured research methodology and transparent and inclusive processes, assessment of medicines, vaccines, medical devices and equipment, and health procedures, including preventive intervention, could help to address the demand for reliable information on the safety, efficacy, quality, appropriateness, cost-effectiveness and efficiency dimensions of such technologies to determine if and when they are integrated into particular health interventions and systems; Concerned that the capacity to assess, research and document the public health, economic, organizational, social, legal and ethical implications of health interventions and technologies is inadequate in most developing countries, resulting in inadequate information to guide rational policy, and professional decisions and practices; Recognizing the importance of strengthened national capacity, regional and international networking, and collaboration on health intervention and technology assessment to promote evidence-based health policy, 1. URGES Member States:1 (1) to encourage the systematic utilization of independent health intervention and technology assessment in support of universal health coverage to inform policy decisions, including priority-setting, selection, procurement supply system management and use of health interventions and/or technologies, as well as the formulation of sustainable financing benefit packages, medicines, benefits management including pharmaceutical formularies, clinical practice guidelines and protocols for public health programmes; (2) to consider in addition to the use of established and widely agreed methods, developing as appropriate national methodological and process guidelines and monitoring systems for health intervention and technology assessment in order to ensure the transparency, quality, and policy relevance of related assessments and research; (3) to further consolidate and promote health intervention and technology assessment within national frameworks, such as those for health system research, health professional education, health system strengthening and universal health coverage; (4) to consider strengthening national capacity for regional and international networking, developing national know-how, avoiding duplication of efforts and achieving better use of resources;
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And, where applicable, to regional economic integration organizations.
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(5) to consider also collaborating with other Member States’ health organizations, academic institutions, professional associations and other key stakeholders in the country or region in order to collect and share information and lessons learnt so as to formulate and implement national strategic plans concerning capacity building for and introduction of health intervention and technology assessment, and to summarize best practices in transparent, evidence-informed health policy and decision-making; (6) to identify gaps with regard to promoting and implementing evidence-based health policy, as well as improving related information systems and research capacity, and considering seeking technical support and exchanging information and sharing experiences with other Member States, regional networks and international entities, including WHO; (7) to develop and improve the collection of data on health intervention and technology assessment, training relevant professionals, as appropriate, so as to improve assessment capacity; 2. REQUESTS the Director-General: (1) to assess the status of health intervention and technology assessment in Member States in terms of methodology, human resources and institutional capacity, governance, linkage between health intervention and technology assessment units and/or networks with policy authorities, utilization of assessment results, and interest in and impediments to strengthening capacity; (2) to raise awareness of, and to foster knowledge and encourage the practice of health intervention and technology assessment and its uses in evidence-based decision-making among national policy-makers and other stakeholders, by drawing best practices from the operation, performance and contribution of competent research institutes and health intervention and technology assessment agencies and programmes, and sharing such experiences with Member States through appropriate channels and activities, including global and regional networks and academic institutions; (3) to integrate health intervention and technology assessment concepts and principles into the relevant strategies and areas of work of WHO, including, but not limited to, those on universal health coverage, including health financing, access to and rational use of quality-assured medicines, vaccines and other health technologies, the prevention and management of noncommunicable and communicable diseases, mother and child care, and the formulation of evidence-based health policy; (4) to provide technical support to Member States, especially low-income countries, relevant intergovernmental organizations and global health partners, in order to strengthen capacity for health intervention and technology assessment, including, when appropriate, the development and use of global guidance on methods and processes based on internationally agreed practices; (5) to ensure adequate capacity at all levels of WHO, and utilizing its networks of experts and collaborating centres, as well as other regional and international networks, in order to address the demand for support to facilitate evidence-based policy decisions in Member States;
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(6) to support exchange of information, sharing of experiences and capacity-building in health intervention and technology assessment through collaborative mechanisms and networks at global, regional and country levels, as well as to ensure that these partnerships are active, effective and sustainable; (7) to report on progress in the implementation of this resolution, through the Executive Board, to the Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly. Twelfth meeting, 24 January 2014 EB134/SR/12
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