Session (CTI)

PURPOSE: The purpose of this session is to compare how emerging and evolving HTA systems in China, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa are being shaped by different policy contexts and how they are used to support access decisions for innovative health technologies. DESCRIPTION: Many countries are building or strengthening HTA systems at a time when health systems face growing pressure to improve access to innovative technologies while maintaining affordability, equity, and sustainability. China, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa represent three different emerging and evolving HTA contexts. Although these systems differ in scale, financing, institutional design, and policy priorities, they all face the challenge of translating evidence into practical decisions on pricing, reimbursement, procurement, coverage, and prioritization. This session will compare three pathways from HTA to access. China illustrates a large-scale system where HTA evidence is increasingly connected with price negotiation, reimbursement-list decisions, and efforts to expand affordable access to innovation. The United Arab Emirates represents a rapidly developing, policy-driven environment where HTA is being positioned within value-based healthcare, payer decision-making, and access management. South Africa highlights the role of HTA and priority-setting in the context of equity, universal health coverage, and allocation of limited healthcare resources. The session will describe how these countries are developing HTA functions, generating and interpreting evidence, and linking assessment outputs to access decisions. The discussion will examine how each system balances innovation, affordability, equity, budget impact, and sustainability, and what lessons may be transferable across different settings. By comparing price negotiation, value-based decision making, and priority-setting, the session will provide practical insights for policymakers, HTA agencies, payers, researchers, clinicians, patient representatives, and industry stakeholders interested in making HTA a more actionable instrument for improving access to high-value health technologies.