HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT (HTA) AND HEALTHCARE EQUITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA) REGION: A MULTI-COUNTRY QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES
Author(s)
Mark Sculpher, PhD1, Khawla Abu Hammour, PhD2, Anas Hamad, MSc, PhD3, Waiel Al Naeem, MSc,B.Pharm,BCPS,PGDCR.4, Abeer Ahmad Al Rabayah, MBA, MSc, DrPH5, Meriem Hedibel6, Tomasz Kluszczynski, PhD7, Abdalla Alkindi8, Ebtessam Al harbi, MSc9, Bander Balkhi, PharmD, PhD10, Reda Kessal, PhD11, Mohammed Alluhidan, PhD12, Ahmed Mohammed Seyam, Dr.13, Heba Ibrahim, PhD14, Khader Al-Habash, Sr., PharmD15, jalal Atieh, bachelor of pharmacy15.
1University of York, York, United Kingdom, 2Head of HTA/ Jordan University Hospital, The university of Jordan, Amman, Jordan, 3Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, 4Pharmacy, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 55Head, Center for Drug Policy and Technology Assessment, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan, 6Algerian Society of Clinical and Oncological Pharmacy (ASCOP), Algiers, Algeria, 7Healthcare Consulting, ACESO, Warsaw, Poland, 8Emirates Pharmacy Society (EPS), United Arab Emirates, 9Head of Pharmacoeconomic Center, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 10Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 11Professor in The Faculty of Pharmacy, Algiers and expert in Pharmaco-economy, Algiers, Algeria, 12Health Economics Department, Saudi Health Council, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1313Deputy CEO for technical affairs & Head of Health Economics & Health System Research for UHIA, Cairo, Egypt, 14Health Economist, Health Technology planning Department, The Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement, medical supply and the management of medical technol, New Administrative Capital, Egypt, 15Market Access, hikma Pharmaceuticals, Amman, Jordan.
1University of York, York, United Kingdom, 2Head of HTA/ Jordan University Hospital, The university of Jordan, Amman, Jordan, 3Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar, 4Pharmacy, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 55Head, Center for Drug Policy and Technology Assessment, King Hussein Cancer Center, Amman, Jordan, 6Algerian Society of Clinical and Oncological Pharmacy (ASCOP), Algiers, Algeria, 7Healthcare Consulting, ACESO, Warsaw, Poland, 8Emirates Pharmacy Society (EPS), United Arab Emirates, 9Head of Pharmacoeconomic Center, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 10Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 11Professor in The Faculty of Pharmacy, Algiers and expert in Pharmaco-economy, Algiers, Algeria, 12Health Economics Department, Saudi Health Council, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1313Deputy CEO for technical affairs & Head of Health Economics & Health System Research for UHIA, Cairo, Egypt, 14Health Economist, Health Technology planning Department, The Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement, medical supply and the management of medical technol, New Administrative Capital, Egypt, 15Market Access, hikma Pharmaceuticals, Amman, Jordan.
OBJECTIVES: Achieving equitable healthcare remains a challenge across the MENA region due to differences in health system structures, resources, and access to treatments. HTA is increasingly used to support transparent and evidence-based decision-making and may contribute to fairer resource allocation. This study examined HTA’s current role in advancing healthcare equity across MENA countries.
METHODS: A qualitative multi-country analysis was conducted using insights from a structured expert consultation held during the Tailored Reimbursement for Innovative and Generic Essential Remedies (TRIGER) meeting in Amman, Jordan (September 2025). Participants included stakeholders from ministries of health, HTA bodies, academia, healthcare providers, and policy experts from Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Tunisia, United Kingdom and Poland. Data was collected through panel discussions, workshops, and moderated sessions, then analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in HTA implementation and its relationship to equity.
RESULTS: Four main themes emerged regarding HTA's contribution to healthcare equity. First, HTA was reported as supporting priority setting and resource allocation, particularly for high-cost therapies, through tools such as cost-effectiveness analysis, budget impact assessment, and managed entry agreements. Second, participants reported that the use of broader evidence sources, including real-world data and emerging digital tools can support context-specific assessments of population needs and access disparities. Third, stakeholder engagement, including patient involvement, was identified as an important mechanism for incorporating diverse perspectives and enhancing fairness in decision-making, although implementation varies across countries. Fourth, regional collaboration initiatives, including joint clinical assessment discussions, were identified as opportunities to improve consistency, reduce duplication, and strengthen HTA capacity. Participants also highlighted challenges related to institutional capacity, local data availability, and governance structures.
CONCLUSIONS: HTA adoption across MENA is growing to support equitable healthcare decision-making. Strengthening local capacity, improving data systems, and enhancing regional collaboration may help integrate equity considerations more consistently into HTA processes.
METHODS: A qualitative multi-country analysis was conducted using insights from a structured expert consultation held during the Tailored Reimbursement for Innovative and Generic Essential Remedies (TRIGER) meeting in Amman, Jordan (September 2025). Participants included stakeholders from ministries of health, HTA bodies, academia, healthcare providers, and policy experts from Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Tunisia, United Kingdom and Poland. Data was collected through panel discussions, workshops, and moderated sessions, then analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in HTA implementation and its relationship to equity.
RESULTS: Four main themes emerged regarding HTA's contribution to healthcare equity. First, HTA was reported as supporting priority setting and resource allocation, particularly for high-cost therapies, through tools such as cost-effectiveness analysis, budget impact assessment, and managed entry agreements. Second, participants reported that the use of broader evidence sources, including real-world data and emerging digital tools can support context-specific assessments of population needs and access disparities. Third, stakeholder engagement, including patient involvement, was identified as an important mechanism for incorporating diverse perspectives and enhancing fairness in decision-making, although implementation varies across countries. Fourth, regional collaboration initiatives, including joint clinical assessment discussions, were identified as opportunities to improve consistency, reduce duplication, and strengthen HTA capacity. Participants also highlighted challenges related to institutional capacity, local data availability, and governance structures.
CONCLUSIONS: HTA adoption across MENA is growing to support equitable healthcare decision-making. Strengthening local capacity, improving data systems, and enhancing regional collaboration may help integrate equity considerations more consistently into HTA processes.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
HPR259
Topic
Health Policy & Regulatory, Organizational Practices, Patient-Centered Research
Topic Subcategory
Health Disparities & Equity
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas