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Balancing budgets and coverage on the road to determining Health Benefit Packages: iDSI hosts three major events bringing together policy-makers from around the world

By Madeleine Stewart Nov. 12, 2018

Although needs and available resources will undoubtedly differ by country, many face similar challenges on the road to determining an essential package of health benefits as part of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). As part of three recent events, which saw hundreds working in health policy gather in Accra, Liverpool and London, iDSI sought to delve into important factors that guide …

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Spotlight on: iDSI, Sida and CHAI session on health financing towards Universal Health Coverage at Global Symposium on Health Systems Research

Oct. 31, 2018

At this year’s Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, iDSI collaborated with Sida and CHAI for the first time on convening a well-attended satellite session dedicated to health financing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) – paving the way for more collaborations in future as we explore joint work across Sub Saharan Africa to support priority-setting for UHC. The session brought …

Impact in Indonesia: two low value cancer drugs to be removed from national medicines list

By Madeleine Stewart, Manushi Sharma, Ryan Li Oct. 18, 2018

iDSI’s impact in Indonesia was commended during the Fifth Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR) which took place in Liverpool last week. As part of a satellite session iDSI hosted with CHAI and Sida, ‘Health financing towards UHC’, Pak Budi Hidayat, Professor of Health Economics and Health Insurance at the University of Indonesia and a member of the national …

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iDSI hosts two-week study tour for Chinese delegation

By Madeleine Stewart

Health policy evaluation and Health Technology Assessment in the UK were put under the spotlight during a two-week study tour for Chinese officials, hosted by iDSI, which concluded today. The 22 delegates, from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds, visited London and Cambridge to develop their understanding of the UK healthcare system, including health-related legislation and regulatory mechanisms, policy development and …

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60 seconds with… Patric Landin

By Madeleine Stewart Oct. 2, 2018

iDSI caught up with Patric Landin, regional advisor for Sida’s (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights team, ahead of the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR) in Liverpool next week. A HSR 2018 satellite session, which will focus on health financing towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), has received funding from Sida, working on behalf …

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60 seconds with…Dr Yogan Pillay

By Madeleine Stewart Sep. 26, 2018

iDSI caught up with Dr Yogan Pillay, Deputy Director-General for Communicable and Non-communicable Disease, Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation in the National Department of Health in South Africa, ahead of the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research (HSR) symposium in Liverpool next month. 1. You are a panel member in the sub-session, ‘Design of Health Benefit Packages’ during the HSR 2018 …

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Five key points on Modicare: India’s soon to be rolled-out National Health Insurance Scheme

By Laura Downey Sep. 17, 2018

As India gets ready for the introduction of Modicare, reported to be the largest government-sponsored insurance scheme in the world with a target population of 500 million, we highlight five key points about the revolutionary health scheme. 1. The poor are the primary beneficiaries of this scheme Modicare’ s predecessor, the government-run health insurance programme Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), …

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60 seconds with… Dr Justice Nonvignon

By Madeleine Stewart Sep. 14, 2018

iDSI caught up with Dr Justice Nonvignon, a senior lecturer and health economist at the University of Ghana, ahead of a special event in Accra later this month that focuses on sustainable policies for effective resource allocation in Africa. As part of the two-day event, Justice will lead on a workshop session highlighting international case studies of Health Technology Assessment …

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A clear vision for India: cataracts HTA study sets example for a more cost-effective National Health Protection Scheme

By Laura Downey Aug. 13, 2018

The Health Technology Assessment in India (HTAIN) Secretariat has published its first Health Technology Assessment study, assessing the cost-effectiveness of intraocular lens replacement for cataracts. Following approval by the Technical Appraisal Committee, this pioneering study will inform the ophthalmology surgical packages reimbursable under the new National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS), which is set to provide healthcare coverage for over 500 …

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Using service delivery platforms to strengthen health systems

By Peter Smith Aug. 7, 2018

The call for ‘health system strengthening’ (HSS) has become something of a mantra in global health circles in recent years. But what do we mean by HSS and how might policymakers go about enacting it? My colleagues Dr Katharina Hauck, Dr Ranjeeta Thomas and I are working on an iDSI project where we take the position that an important form …