Indonesia is Preparing towards Providing Healthcare for  All  based on Health Economics Assessment

Bandung, 19-21 January 2011 FKM UI (Faculty of Public Health University of Indonesia) partners with Novartis, organizing the 2nd International Seminar on Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment in Indonesia with the theme “How Does HTA support Value for Money?” This seminar discussed about health economic and health technology assessment presenting some Professors from various universities in Europe, US and Australia. The speakers are: Prof.Rob Carter of Deakin University, Australia; Zoltan Kalo from Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, Hungary; Alan Haycox from the University of Liverpool Management School, United Kingdom; Joseph Biskupiak from the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United State and Abdulkadir Keskinaslan of Novartis AG, Switzerland.

The local speakers include Prof. Hasbullah Thabrany from the Faculty of Public Health University of Indonesia; Prof. Iwan Dwiprahasto from Gajah Mada University; Prof. Edi Rahardjo from Health Ministry, and Dra. Lucky Slamet from BPOM (the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency). Key note speeches were presented by , The Director General of Pharmaceutical Services and Health Devices, Dra. Sri Indrawati, Chairman of ISPOR Indonesia, Ahmad Fuad Afdhal, Ph.D. and the Dean of  Faculty of Public Health University of Indonesia, represented by DR. He Ayubi.

The main participants of this three-day seminar are government agencies in the health sector (Health Ministry, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency), head of health providers Private and National hospital) and academicians (post graduate school) in medicine, pharmacy, public health, and economy.

Most of Indonesian population has no health insurance and very few protected by health insurance. In regards to that situation, currently Indonesia is working to implement the ’healthcare for all’  through a financing mechanism based on social health insurance that covers the entire society and this objective was already set by the Ministry of Health as the target to be achieved in 2014 as Universal Coverage.

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) seminar was held to prepare the key stakeholders in the health sector to face the challenges in health financing as well as to equip them with some technical competencies before the establishment of the Universal Coverage in 2014. By holding the HTA seminar, Novartis shows its commitment to contribute to the improvement of patients access program and health financing issues in Indonesia.