The Institute for Clinical and Healthcare Effectiveness (IECS) continues to strengthen its international leadership in Health Technology Assessment (HTA), with a prominent participation in the Third International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA 2025).
The event, held on March 8 and 9 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, was organized by the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Global Development. Under the motto “Connecting Evidence to Policy: Health Technology Assessment for Affordable Health Care”, brought together international experts in the use of evidence to improve health equity.
In this framework, the Dr. Andrés Pichon Rivière, Director General of IECS and Co-Director of the Department of Health Technology Assessment and Health Economics, presented “Health Technology Assessment: Innovations for Equity and Affordability in Health Care” and “Beyond Cost-Effectiveness: Advanced Methods in Health Economics”His presentation addressed the impact of HTA on decision-making and resource allocation, highlighting its role in improving access to healthcare.
Presentations by Dr. Andrés Pichon Rivière available at the following links:
- “Health Technology Assessment in Latin America”, Pichon-Riviere ISHTA 2025 Day 1 Delhi India March 2025.
- “Advance Methods in Economic Evaluations”, Pichon-Riviere ISHTA 2025 Delhi India Day 2 March 2025.
The symposium also provided a key forum for sharing experiences and presenting strategic initiatives in HTA, such as technology assessment tools, cost databases, and new approaches to protecting and transferring health innovations.
Institutional expansion and collaboration with India
Beyond the symposium, the IECS strengthens its commitment to capacity building in Health Technology Assessment in India. In 2023 and 2024, it conducted the course "Fundamentals of Health Technology Assessment"with the Indian Ministry of Health and, in 2025, will begin a mentorship with young researchers at Tata Memorial Hospital, the country's largest cancer center. This collaboration will focus on an economic evaluation and HTA analysis of two key cancer drugs.
"India is a strategic country in HTA due to its diverse healthcare system, its role in global drug production, and its growing need for economic evaluation tools. Our collaboration not only strengthens decision-making in India but also contributes to the development of global standards.“said Dr. Pichon Rivière.
In addition, the IECS will continue its work with the Indian government through its agreement with The International Decision Support Initiative (iDSI), an initiative that seeks to strengthen capacities in economic evaluation and optimize decision-making processes in health.
With these actions, the IECS reaffirms its role as a strategic partner in generating knowledge and promoting equity in access to health care globally.