CHE researchers contribute to conferences on HTA and health policy in Asia-Pacific region

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Posted on Thursday 11 September 2025

CHE researchers shared expertise at two major Asian conferences, highlighting urgent challenges in mental health policy and advancing Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in an era of AI-driven healthcare.

Driving research and policy on mental health at IHEA 2025

The International Health Economics Association (IHEA) Conference 2025 took place in Bali, Indonesia from 19-23 July. The IHEA congress, held every second year, is the key global forum for health economists to engage around the latest methodological developments and explore the implications of research for health policy and practice.

The IHEA congress attracted over 1,500 participants and included presentations from a number of CHE colleagues.

Professor Rowena Jacobs, Deputy Director for CHE, contributed to the closing plenary session entitled Mental Health Economics at a Crossroads: Tackling Key Challenges in the Field. Together with Professor David Johnston (Monash University) and Dr Eduardo Banzon (Asian Development Bank), the session, chaired by Professor de Oliveira (University of Toronto) explored the main areas of research that health economists should focus on in mental health, the key challenges that health systems need to grapple with, and how best to tackle these from a policy perspective.

Rowena said: “I was delighted that IHEA shone the spotlight on mental health, given the widespread prevalence and huge economic and social costs. For too long it has been the Cinderella service.” She added: “I would be really pleased if the plenary enthused members of the audience to take up the mantle and do more research in this under-served area.”

Advancing Health Technology Assessment at HTAsiaLink 2025

The 12th HTAsiaLink Conference 2025 took place in Singapore from 19–22 August, bringing together experts and leaders from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond to advance the role of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) in unlocking value within healthcare systems.

The 2025 conference theme emphasised the power of collaboration, highlighting the importance of working together to address shared challenges and opportunities in the region.

Professor Mark Sculpher, Head of Department for CHE, contributed to the discussions during a plenary session titled The Road Ahead: Navigating Possibilities with HTA. Co-organised with the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, this session explored the critical role of HTA in shaping the future of data-driven, AI-empowered healthcare and personalised medicine. As these innovative technologies rapidly evolve, HTA provides a vital framework for assessing their clinical effectiveness, economic value, equity, and ethical implications.

Mark’s presentation, Ensuring Value for Money from Medicines in the AI Era: The Principles of Decision Making in the Face of Heterogeneity, addressed how heterogeneity can be reflected in economic analysis to support decision making.

Mark said: “We have understood the principles of dealing with heterogeneity but these remain under-utilised in HTA. This needs to be addressed as we move into the AI era”.

Learn more about CHE’s latest findings and research in health economics.