Health technology assessment in the Asia Pacific region

OBJECTIVES: Although health technology assessment (HTA) has been well established in all developed countries, it has not found a firm footing in many developing countries. This is especially true of the Asia Pacific region, which has much of the world population. METHODS: The beginnings of HTA in this region go back to the work of Dr. David Banta in China and the establishment of the Asian HTA Network. The Network embarked on increasing awareness and building capacity among personnel from the region. Attempts were made to introduce HTA in countries where it did not exist, as well as to strengthen existing HTA programs. The Network had regular meetings, and also carried out a study on the diffusion and utilization of…