The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized Health Technology Assessment (HTA) as an important tool for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) globally. The growing interest in HTA in low- and middle-income countries has led to more recent developments of Economic Evaluation Guidelines (EEGs) in these countries, including in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Developing national EEGs is critical to researchers by providing practical steps for conducting economic evaluation to inform health decision-making and priority setting for policy, but it is essential that EEGs are fit-for-purpose at the specific country level. This will require a balance of incorporating international best practice standards while taking into account the local decision-making frameworks and context.

The goal of this forum is to share the experiences within some MENA countries in developing and implementing economic evaluation guidelines. The speakers will discuss the issues and challenges of developing and implementing their guidelines and what impact these guidelines will have on their healthcare systems. Evidence, data, and insights into the development and implementation of these guidelines will be provided in this session.