Doha: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing national capabilities in Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and health policy by establishing a dedicated national unit and developing a comprehensive assessment framework with defined standards.
According to Qatar News Agency, these initiatives are part of the twelfth outcome, "Excellence in Health Research, Development, and Innovation," under the third priority, "Efficiency and Resilience of the Health System," in the National Health Strategy 2024-2030. The MoPH recently hosted a high-level workshop in collaboration with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Hoffmann-La Roche, aimed at boosting national capacities in HTA and health policy.
The workshop is part of the Ministry's ongoing efforts to embed evidence-based decision-making across healthcare sectors and to promote long-term sustainability and resilience within Qatar's health system. It emphasized the effective and equitable allocation of health resources, supported innovation through governance of emerging technologies, and enhanced the resilience and sustainability of the health system. The event also highlighted the importance of multi-sectoral partnerships in achieving national health priorities.
These measures align with the objectives of the Human Development Pillar of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the priorities of the National Health Strategy, particularly in building a high-performing, efficient, person-centered, data-driven health system responsive to current and future health needs.
Dr. Anas Hamad, Head of the National Health Technology Assessment Unit Project within the National Health Strategy at the MoPH, inaugurated the workshop. He emphasized the concerted efforts needed to achieve the Ministry's objectives under its 2024-2030 strategy, improve health system outcomes, and build specialized national capacities in this field.
Dr. Hamad stated: "The project to establish a national HTA unit is based on the third priority of the National Health Strategy, focusing on efficiency and resilience, and is part of the twelfth outcome relating to excellence in research, development, and innovation. The HTA project is crucial in developing an integrated framework to support transparent, evidence-based decision-making within Qatar's health system."
Dr. Ahmed Tawfiq, General Manager of Hoffmann-La Roche in the Gulf region, highlighted the importance of unifying public and private sector efforts to develop sustainability frameworks aligned with shared objectives. He noted the collaboration with MoPH and LSE to improve healthcare in Qatar, ensuring treatments reach the right patients at the right time using the latest scientific evidence and modern technologies.
Professor Elias Mossialos, Chair in Health Policy and Director of the LSE Health Centre, remarked: "The LSE is proud to deliver an intensive two-day training program for MoPH in Qatar, focusing on key trends in healthcare, disease prevention and early diagnosis, and economic evaluation in healthcare as essential tools for improving system performance and decision-making."
The workshop provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of the frameworks and capabilities required to build an effective HTA structure. It focused on applying real-world evidence to inform policy and investment decisions, laying the foundation for the systematic use of economic evaluation within Qatar's health policy framework.