Health systems in the Asia region seek to achieve universal health care (UHC) by increasing access to essential healthcare services, while reducing health inequalities and out-of-pocket expenditure. With this in mind, the discussion for the 2017 Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi) Asia Policy Forum (APF) centered around the topic of ‘Universal Healthcare in the Asia Region: Overcoming the Barriers using HTA and Real World Data’.

As part of the background paper prepared to inform discussions at the APF, attendees from public sector HTA agencies from nine countries, and industry attendees from eight companies, were surveyed to explore issues on the barriers and challenges of establishing UHC in the region and use of real world data (RWD).

Most countries used evidence-based decision-making when considering which technologies to add to healthcare benefit packages; however, this was at times inconsistently applied. Prioritization criteria included burden of disease, unmet clinical need, clinical effectiveness, cost effectiveness and affordability. The political agenda and deference to expert opinion also played a role. Although all countries reported using RWD to inform decision-making, they also reported issues including lack of capacity, poor quality data and lack of collaboration between private and public sectors, as well as a conservative approach to data-linkage. It became apparent that a disconnect had been identified, as industry overwhelmingly identified access to RWD in the region as a major issue.

Discussing the differences in opinion between HTA agencies and industry led to a greater understanding of issues in the Asia region, and will lead to increased dialogue and opportunities to collaborate in the future. Building capacity in the region will assist countries to deliver on their goal of achieving UHC.