BACKGROUND
The availability of essential in-vitro diagnostic (IVD))
tests is a prerequisite to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in low- and
middle-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) periodically
updates the Essential In-vitro Diagnostics List (EDL), most recently in October
2023, in promote the IVD pelicy development and enhance access to clinical
laboratory services in those countries. To make the best use of the WHO EDL,
countries need to develop their own National EDL (NEDL) according to their
national and sub-national context and needs. As a first step of the NEDL
development in the ASEAN region, WHO in collaboration with the Economic
Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) conducted surveys on the
capacity and availability of various diagnostics across different levels in
several countries Including the Philippines. The survey indicated that there
remain significant room for improvement in national policies and often gaps in
disease-specific clinical laboratories and other tests.
ERIA and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine
(NCGM) under the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan, made an agreement to
implement the project on "Initial Evaluation for the Development of
National Essential Diagnostics List in ASEAN Countries in May 2024 with the
following objectives: (1) To evaluate the status of conditions which are
necessary for a country to develop its own NEDL based on the WHO EDL, and (2)
To suggest what should be done to develop NEDL.. In June 2024, the Regional Consultative
Meeting (RCM) on National Essential Diagnostics Lists for ASEAN Member States
(AMS) was held in Bangkok. The Meeting, attended by AMSs and international
organizations including NCGM, served as a forum to share the findings of the
aforementioned survey and the situations encompassing the NEDL, development in
each AMS as well as to advocate it to AMSs. In September 2024, an ERIA
consultant conducted a series of interviews with AMS representatives including
the Deputy Director, Department of Hospital Services, Ministry of Health,
Cambodia, as a follow-up Initiative of the RCM. Based on the findings from the
interviews, ERIA and its partners agreed to support the initiative of AMSs in
developing NEDL.
In this context, ERIA and NCGM, as part of the aforementioned project, plan to visit AMSs to meet and discuss with key stakeholders to understand their preparedness in developing NEDL and to identify areas of future cooperation.
OBJECTIVES
- To understand the needs for developing NEDL as well as how it may lead to improved access to essential IVDs in the Cambodian context.
- To understand the progress and challenges in developing NEDL..
- To identify areas of future cooperation and partnership between NCGM and Ministry of Health, Cambodia.
MISSION TEAM MEMBERS
Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia
(ERIA)
1) Dr. Yasuyuki Mitsuhashi, Senior Policy Fellow on
Healthcare, ERIA
2) Dr. Achmad Solikhin, Health Programs Manager, ERIA
3) Dr. Masami Fujita, Deputy Director General, Department of
Global Network Partnership, Bureau of International Health Cooperation,
National Center for Global Health and Medicine. Japan
4) Dr. Masataro Norizuki, Medical Officer, Department of
Global Network Partnership. Bureau of International Health Cooperation,
National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Japan
5) Dr. Shogo Kanamori, Senior Technical Advisor, Department
of Global Network Partnership, Bureau of International Health Cooperation,
National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Japan
Ministry of Health, Cambodia
6) Dr. Yuta Yokobori, JICA Policy Adviser to the Ministry of
Health, Cambodia
7) Dr. Dr. Sau Sokunna, Deputy Director, Department of
Hospital Services, Ministry of Health, Cambodia
Consultant
8) Mr. Naofumi Hashimoto, Healthcare Consultant
