In the Kingdom of Bhutan, Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a constitutional mandate. However, the growing demand for advanced health technologies by citizens has led to higher health expenditures for the nation. To address this, the National Health Policy 2011 emphasises the use of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) as a crucial tool for rational decision-making and prioritisation of limited healthcare resources.
In 2008, the Essential Medicines and Technology Division (EMTD) was established as the HTA agency within the Ministry of Health (MoH). To streamline the process of introducing health technologies in the country, the first HTA process guideline was developed in 2013 and later updated in 2018.
In a significant move to further strengthen the HTA process and institutionalise the HTA system across the health sectors in Bhutan, this new HTA framework has been approved by the High-Level Committee for Health Sector (HLC-HS) during the 2nd HLC meeting on 5th June 2023. This framework is set to take effect from 1st July 2023.
This HTA framework applies to all departments of health sectors and health centres under the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB), ensuring a comprehensive and consistent approach to evaluating and incorporating health technologies into the healthcare system.
Download: https://www.moh.gov.bt/wp-content/uploads/Bhutan-HTA-framework-2023.pdf
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