| 88 Views 12 November 2026 |
On November 12–13, 2026, executives and faculty members from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University (MUPY) participated in the 2026 International HTA Conference: “Sustainable Access to Advanced Therapeutic Innovations,” held at Hanoi University of Pharmacy in Hanoi, Vietnam. The MUPY delegation was led by Assoc. Prof. Surakit Nathisuwan, Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, together with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sitaporn Youngkong, Deputy Dean for Global Partnerships and Corporate Communication; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Montarat Thavorncharoensap, Chair of the Graduate Program in Health Technology Assessment (HTA); and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Usa Chaikledkaew, Chair of the Global HTA Research Center.
On this occasion, Assoc. Prof. Surakit Nathisuwan was invited to serve as a Co-Chair of the Plenary Session and Training Session. He also delivered opening remarks in his capacities as Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, and representative of the ASEAN PharmNET Secretariat Office, underscoring MUPY’s commitment to strengthening regional academic cooperation, professional capacity building, and knowledge exchange in health technology assessment and related fields.
The international conference brought together approximately 200 participants representing government and regulatory agencies, healthcare organizations, academic and research institutions, industry, and international experts in health technology assessment, health economics, pharmaceutical policy, healthcare decision-making, and access to advanced therapeutic innovations. The conference aimed to facilitate multidisciplinary knowledge exchange, strengthen the application of HTA and health economic evaluation to evidence-informed decision-making and resource allocation, promote sustainable and equitable access to healthcare innovations, and foster international collaboration among policymakers, healthcare professionals, academics, researchers, and industry stakeholders.
MUPY faculty members also played prominent academic roles as invited international speakers throughout the conference. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sitaporn Youngkong delivered a plenary presentation entitled “From HTA Concepts to Policy Impact: Applying HTA to Health Policy Decisions & Its Evolution” and led a training session on “Cost Analysis for Economic Evaluation: From Resource Use to Costs.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Montarat Thavorncharoensap presented “Willingness-to-Pay Thresholds for Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Theory and Practical Applications” and conducted a training session on “Outcomes, Utilities and QALYs: Measuring Health Outcomes for HTA.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Usa Chaikledkaew delivered the plenary presentation “Health Economic Evaluation for Policy Decision-Making: From Costs and Outcomes to Value for Money” and contributed to the training program through sessions covering decision tree and Markov models, uncertainty analysis in cost-effectiveness models, and budget impact analysis.
Through these leadership and academic contributions, the MUPY delegation shared its expertise in HTA and health economics with an international audience while strengthening institutional and professional networks in the region. The conference provided a platform for exchanging knowledge and practical approaches related to economic evaluation, health outcomes, cost-effectiveness analysis, budget impact analysis, and the translation of HTA evidence into healthcare policy and decision-making.
MUPY’s participation in the conference reflects the Faculty’s continuing commitment to advancing health technology assessment, developing professional and academic capacity, and strengthening international and regional collaboration in evidence-informed healthcare decision-making. The activity particularly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being, through its emphasis on sustainable and equitable access to healthcare innovations; SDG 4: Quality Education, through international knowledge exchange and capacity building in HTA and health economics; and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through collaboration among universities, policymakers, healthcare stakeholders, researchers, and regional and international academic networks.
News Article by International Relations Unit
Photography by Hanoi University of Pharmacy
