Mission Report: Stakeholder Consultation Meeting on Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) Project in Bhutan

Bhutan achieved Universal Child Immunization in 1991 and has maintained high immunization coverage over the past decades. Since Bhutan transitioned from Gavi support in 2016 after the country’s economic classification changed to lower‐middle income country, the government is now responsible for allocating money on new vaccines and considerations around value for money, budget impact and financial sustainability of introducing new vaccines is of critical importance. Recognizing the importance of priority setting in the context of universal health coverage (UHC), Bhutan officially established an Essential Medicines and Technology Division (EMTD) under Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2008 which is the only Health Technology Assessment (HTA) unit in the country responsible for providing evidence to the decision makers in Bhutan by assessing health technologies or interventions. In September 2016, officials from EMTD and Policy Planning Division (PPD) under MOH approached the Health Intervention and Technology Assessment Program (HITAP) to provide technical support for this study in Bhutan.