White Paper
Health Technology Assessment of Medical Devices in India: Key Considerations for Value Assessment Frameworks
May 20, 2021

Over the last two to three decades, India – along with its peers in South Asia – has witnessed tremendous economic growth. However, the correlation between economic growth and better health outcomes is complex and unclear. India's public health expenditure is lower than the world average, even when compared to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS). It is one of the lowest, even among developing countries. This leads to extensive out-of-pocket expenditure, which accounts for 63% of the total health expenditure, as per a 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) report. However, the National Health Policy 2017 has envisaged increasing healthcare expenditure to 2.5 % of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the coming years. To meet this commitment, the Government of India has taken a step in the right direction by increasing healthcare expenditure to 1.8% of GDP under the 2021 budget.

‘Despite the limited healthcare budget, in line with the WHO’s directive, India has taken up the task of achieving universal health coverage (UHC) by 2030 with upmost priority. To achieve this goal, it is paramount to have efficient health systems, trained healthcare workers, and easy access to medicines and technologies while ensuring affordability of treatment options. Globally, health technology assessment (HTA) is one of the tools used to inform the value of health technologies such as medicines, medical devices, vaccines, procedures, and healthcare systems, and helps their integration within UHC when needed.’

Contact Us