Washington DC, 16 December 2021 (PAHO)- The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with the Brazilian Network for Health Technology Assessment (known in Portuguese as REBRATS), organized the XII Meeting of RedETSA and the II Meeting of REBRATS, from 29 November to 3 December 2021, in celebration of the 10 years anniversaries of RedETSA and the Brazilian National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC).
With more than 1000 participants, the meeting took place online during a five-day event gathering delegates from the ministries of health, social insurance entities, health technology assessment (HTA) networks, regulatory authorities, HTA agencies, PAHO/WHO collaborating centers, and education and research institutions in the Region of the Americas.
The main theme of the event was Innovation and Access and aimed at strengthening ties between RedETSA and REBRATS, and encouraging the exchange of experiences. The program was divided into activities that included round tables, panels, conferences, technical courses, and workshops. Participants discussed a wide array of topics, such as public policies and strategies related to HTA, synthesis of evidence and methods, decision-making, health economics, HTA in the pandemic, and HTA for medical devices.
The event also welcomed participants to share their experiences and discuss with experts during "How Do I Do It" and "Talk to the Expert" sessions.
PAHO, the Secretariat of the Network, highlighted the 201% increase in the number of users on BRISA, the Regional Database of HTA Reports in the Americas. BRISA centralizes in a single platform the reports developed by the member institutions of RedETSA, and gives visibility to information that would otherwise remain dispersed or without public access.
Launched in 2011 with 20 institutions representing 12 countries, the Health Technology Assessment Network of the Americas has grown significantly in the past decade, reaching 39 institutions from 19 countries as of December 2021. RedETSA continues to strengthen HTA and the exchange of information to support decision-making incorporating, using, and managing health technologies in the Americas.
