Fri. May 17, 2019 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM Room 1 (1F Main Hall)

Organizer: Masako Ii(School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University, Japan)
Chair: Masako Ii(School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University, Japan), Ryota Nakamura(Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University, Japan)

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) kill 41 million people annually, representing 71% of all deaths. Unhealthy diets, smoking, and physical inactivity increase the risk of NCDs. Most NCDs are preventable and manageable if appropriate screening and care are provided through the continuous monitoring of (potential) patients. Primary care is therefore critical, and investing more in primary care may be the most cost-effective approach for reducing NCD mortality and its societal burdens. There exit no health systems that have enough resources to afford all healthcare interventions regardless of price. We must therefore consider the costs and effectiveness of each medical intervention to achieve health systems that are catch-all and sustainable, especially in this era of fiscal decline. Health technology assessments (HTAs) are increasingly used internationally to help determine “best-buy” interventions and clinical guidelines. This session invites national experts in HTA from four Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand). Each speaker will discuss the roles and challenges of HTA policies for preventing and treating NCDs at the primary care level in their country. A panel discussion with all speakers will follow to share experiences and idea


Masako Ii

Professor, Asian Public Policy Program, School of International and Public Policy, Hitotsubashi University
She received Ph.D. in Economics from University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1993. Prior to joining Hitotsubashi University, Professor Ii was as an associate professor at the Faculty of Economics, Yokohama National University. She also OPrked as a consultant at the OPrld Bank, Inter-America Development Bank and the Ministry of Planning of the Government of Bolivia. Her fields of specialization are health economics, public economics and development economics. Her recent publication is “Are Japanese People Satisfied with Their Health Care System and Services? Empirical Evidence from Survey Data,” (with B Niu) Health Policy in 2019.
She is currently on the editorial board of Financial Review, issued by the Policy Research Institute, the Japanese Ministry of Finance.
She is a member of Science Council of Japan; Tax Commission, Cabinet Office; the Board of Governors, NHK, Japan Broadcasting Corporation



Ryota Nakamura
Ryota is an associate professor at Hitotsubashi University. He is an applied microeconomist specialising in health. He holds a BA and an MA in Economics from Kyoto University and a PhD in Economics from the University of York. Prior to joining Hitotsubashi in 2016, he held positions at the University of East Anglia and the University of York. His research interests include empirical investigations of health-related behavior and also of healthcare system to inform national and international health policies, using a wide range of research methods including micro-econometric analysis of observational data, economic experiment, and research evidence synthesis.

Contact
Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study
Hitotsubashi University
2-1 Naka Kunitachi Tokyo 186-8601 Japan
Tel: +81 (0)42580 8660
Fax: +81 (0)42580 8605
Email: ryota.nakamura@r.hit-u.ac.jp

Academic positions
Oct 2016 - Associate Professor, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University
Sep 2014 - Visiting Associate Professor, Institute of Statistical Mathematics
Sep 2014 - Sep 2016 Research Fellow, Centre for Health Economics, University of York
May 2014 - Jun 2014 Short Term Consultant, OPrld Bank
Jun 2011 - Aug 2014 Research Associate / Senior Research Associate, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia
Jun 2011 - May 2013 Research Associate, School of Economics, University of East Anglia

Education
Oct 2007 - Jun 2011 PhD in Economics, Department of Economics and Related Studies, University of York
Apr 2005 - Mar 2007 MA in Economics, Graduate School of Economics, Kyoto University
Apr 2001 - Mar 2005 BA in Economics, Faculty of Economics, Kyoto University

Research area
Health Economics, Health Policy, Public Health