The institutionalization of health technology assessment (HTA) and evidence-informed priority setting (EIPS) has gained popularity in the African region as countries strive to achieve universal health coverage. In this context, the Africa CDC has established a Working Group - Africa HTA Programme (WG-AfHTAP) to develop continental guidelines for HTA in Africa and a roadmap to support its institutionalization.
Since Tunisia is one of the countries on the continent with an advanced HTA system (INEAS, Tunisia's HTA agency, was established in 2012, the first HTA agency in the Middle East and Africa, and joined INAHTA in 2015), a delegation from the WG-AfHTAP made a study visit to Tunisia to engage in discussions with key stakeholders in the health system. The visit aims to better understand the HTA system in Tunisia, its mandate and processes, and how HTA is linked and integrated into the broader health system functions and reforms to drive real policy changes. The aim of the visit was to gain insights from Tunisia's leading experience in this field. The study tour provided an opportunity for a broad exchange of views and ideas and explored opportunities for collaboration.
INEAS would like to thank CDC Africa for this encouraging initiative and looks forward to future joint initiatives that will strengthen evidence-based decision making across the African continent.