Political Economy of UHC and HTA
Led by Dr. Jeremy LimSession Synopsis
At its core, UHC is driven politically. Policy makers and advocates need to understand the politics behind and driving motivations for and continued support for UHC and how to mobilize goodwill and political buy-in for UHC. Beyond that, concerns about financial sustainability plague every country and the HTA as a powerful tool in enabling a framework to manage demand and supply is often a necessary upfront investment.
The session will build upon Prof Kishore Mahbubani’s opening speech to draw lessons from successful advocacy and successful implementation of UHC in Asian countries. In the second part, we will examine the evolution of HTA in select Asian countries and how HTA supports UHC.
![](https://blog.nus.edu.sg/nihaldp2019/files/2019/05/panel-disussion-01.png)
Session format
Panel session with presentations followed by plenary discussion
Session Learning Objectives
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Examine the genesis of the UHC movement and evolutions from Alma Ata 1978 through to the MDG and now to the SDG
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Highlight central themes in political mobilization for UHC and how advocacy has been organized in countries such Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia
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Discuss HTA in the context of UHC and how it can be used to gain political support for UHC and vice versa
Session Outlines
Time |
Content |
9.00 am |
Opening remarks by Jeremy Lim and Co-Lead and group reflections on Prof Kishore Mahbubani’s speech |
9.15 am |
Panel Discussion on UHC development and fiscal concerns |
9.45 am |
Group Discussion: With regards to UHC, what are the concerns of non-health policy makers and in particular, the finance ministry, treasury or equivalent? What has been the public discussion around financial sustainability of the UHC scheme in your country and the fairness of contributions and utilization? [Small group discussions] |
10.10 am |
Reporting back to the group |
10.20 am |
Closing remarks by Jeremy Lim and Co-Lead |
10.30 am |
End |