ISSUE: It will be debated whether productivity losses should be included within health economic evaluations and whether the methods should differ between countries. The perspective that productivity losses are essential will be contrasted with the viewpoint that they inequitably favour people of working age. OVERVIEW: Diseases not only place a burden on patients and health care systems but also on society, predominantly through the impact on employment and productivity. Medical interventions have the potential to lead to direct benefits to patients and health care systems as well as to society in general, by reducing productivity losses due to disease. Nevertheless, few countries formally consider productivity costs as part of their evaluation of health care technologies. Given the controversies in estimating productivity costs due to absenteeism and presenteeism, coupled with the ethical dilemmas that are introduced regarding favouring people of working age, these are rarely considered as part of formal health technology evaluation processes (including in Asia) and thus the impact of a disease, and potential treatment options, on productivity is not fully considered. Productivity is a key economic issue, particularly in some Asian countries such as Singapore with an aging population and recent tighter controls on immigration; maximum productivity is therefore required from each citizen. One aspect of the debate will be on whether different methods for estimating productivity losses are appropriate for different markets and whether there is a need to standardise methodologies for measuring and valuing productivity losses. The audience will be asked to vote following the discussion and will be encouraged to pose their questions to the panellists and contribute their own viewpoints.