Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the third “International Symposium on Health Technology Assessment (ISHTA 2025)” at Bharat Mandapam on March 8, 2025. The symposium, organized by the Department of Health Research (DHR) in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) India Country Office and the Centre for Global Development (CGD), focuses on “Bridging Evidence to Policy: Health Technology Assessment for Affordable Healthcare.“
The Minister emphasized accessibility and affordability of healthcare for all, highlighting the crucial role of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in evidence-based policymaking. He reiterated the government’s focus on preventive, curative, palliative, and rehabilitative healthcare, noting the establishment of 22 AIIMS and a substantial increase in medical education seats.
Key Initiatives and Achievements:
The Minister highlighted the widespread HTA resource centers across 19 states, aiding in priority setting and achieving health goals like TB detection.
He also released key resources including the Open Real-Time PCR Kit for TB diagnosis, the HTA Technologies Compendium, the HTA Costing Database, and the Patent Mitra initiative, which supports innovators in securing patents and facilitating technology transfer.
The ICMR initiative of Medical Education Patent Mitra, aligning with Med Tech Mitra, aims to advance medical innovation.
ISHTA 2025 featured keynote presentations, panel discussions, oral and poster presentations, and a “Marketplace” showcasing HTA studies. The event aimed to foster collaborations and contribute to a sustainable and affordable healthcare system.
