Congress

The IHEA congress, held every second year, is the only global forum for health economists to engage around the latest methodological developments, present recent research findings and explore the implications of this research for health policy and practice. The IHEA congress includes presentations across the full spectrum of health economics’ fields.

Upcoming Congress

The 15th IHEA World Congress on Health Economics will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from July 8-12, 2023. The Health Economics Unit of the University of Cape Town, which is the oldest health economics research centre in Africa, will host the congress.

Click here to view the short congress invitation video and preview some of what Cape Town has to offer!

Please contact events@healtheconomics.org with any Congress or abstract submission inquiries.

Congress Timeline

August 2022 Abstract submissions open
6 December 2022 at 23:59 ET Abstract submission closes
Mid December 2022 through January 2023 Abstract review process
February 2023 Program chairs finalize decisions on abstracts
By 8 March 2023 Abstract submitters informed of Scientific Committee decision
31 March 2023 Deadline for registration of those with accepted abstracts
April 2023 Program scheduling
By 8 May 2023 Program released and presenters informed of date & time of session
30 June 2023 Deadline for submission of presentations and e-posters
8-9 July 2023 Pre-congress sessions
Evening 9 July – 12 July Main congress

Abstract
Submissions
Registration
and Participation
Congress
Program
Scientific
Committee
Funding
Partners

Abstract Submissions

Abstract submissions are now closed.

Given IHEA’s commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, including ethical collaborative research practices and fair opportunities to present research, we strongly advocate for the presentation of research by local researchers from the country which is the subject of the research.

Individual abstracts and organized sessions are currently under review. Abstract and session submitters identified the most appropriate sub-fields for their research, which was used as the basis for allocation to reviewers with expertise in these sub-field(s).

Fields and Sub-fields of Health Economics

1. Health, its distribution and its valuation

The burden of disease
Distribution of health
Valuation of health (including human capital, labour market outcomes, wellbeing)
Values (preferences, market values)
Health outcome measurement
Non-health outcome measurement (including capability, wellbeing)
Equity in health outcomes

2. Health beyond health care services: social and related determinants

Social determinants of health (e.g. gender, education, income, wealth, employment, relative deprivation, financial crises, cultural shocks)
Environmental determinants of health (e.g. pollution, natural disasters)
Family economics and social interaction
Non-medical health promotion interventions and policies

3. Health beyond health care services: health behaviors

Risky health behaviors (alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, opioids, risky sexual behaviors, poor nutrition, etc.)
Health enhancing behaviors (exercise, sleep, stress managements, etc.)
Behavioral economics and health production
Interventions and policies targeting health behaviors

4. Demand & utilization of health care services

Demand for health insurance
Demand for insurance for disability and long-term care
Demand for health & health care, including for specific services
Influences on utilization (including gender, insurance coverage, out-of-pocket payments)
Barriers to access (including informational, financial, gender issues, behaviour biases, preferences)

5. Supply and regulation of health care services and products

Health care labour markets (including education, agency relationships)
Care setting (including community-based and other primary care, hospitals, long-term care, integrated care, mental health services, hospice, dental services)
Public health services
Pharmaceutical products and medical devices
Digital health (ehealth / mhealth / telehealth)
Genomics and precision medicine
Efficient provision of health services
Competition and market failure in health care supply
System organisation (including private for-profit, not-for-profit, public, mixed, vertical integration)
Regulation
Quality of care
Rationing (including waiting lists) and priority setting

6. Health care financing & expenditures

Voluntary health insurance, including competition, moral hazard, selection effects, risk variation and regulation
Mandatory health insurance, including risk-equalization and pool integration
Fiscal space for government funding of health care
Financing for Universal Health Coverage, including financial risk protection and reducing pool fragmentation
Strategic purchasing, including benefits design, contracting, provider payment mechanisms (including pay-for performance), drug pricing
National health accounts
Health care spending trends

7. Economic evaluation of health and care interventions

8. Health system performance

Efficiency at the health system level
Equity in financing, access and quality of care
Distributional aspects of health policy (socio-economic, gender, geographic, etc.)
Impact assessment of system wide policy change

9. Cross-cutting themes and other issues

Theoretical developments
Political economy of health care
Inclusivity and diversity: decolonization, all forms of discrimination, lived experience
Teaching health economics
Cross-cutting methods: Econometric developments
Cross-cutting methods: Microsimulation
Cross-cutting methods: Qualitative health economics research
Cross-cutting methods: Stated Preference

Specific populations and conditions

In addition to selecting a primary field from the options above, can select one of these if relevant:

Congress registration and onsite participation

Congress Registration

Registration is now open!

Early bird rates until 28 April 2023

	Member	Non-member
Early Bird High-income country	USD 600	USD 880
Early Bird Low- or middle-income country*/Student^#/ECR^#	USD 380	USD 570
Regular High-income country	USD 770	USD 1,050
Regular LMIC*/Student^#/ECR^#	USD 500	USD 680

* A citizen of and residing in a country on the World Bank’s list of low- and middle-income countries

^# Defined as a full-time student at a tertiary education institution or a person who has graduated within the past 4 years

Getting to Cape Town

We can’t wait to welcome those from all over the world to Cape Town this July!

For updated international flight information, please click here.

Recommended Hotels

There are many hotels with a range of prices (from around $50 to over $200 per person, per night) within close walking distance of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Below is a list of recommended hotels, showing their location relative to the CTICC and links to their online reservation systems. Hotels are listed as either $, $$ or $$$ based on their current price per night.

Please be advised that IHEA has not contracted any rooms directly with the hotels listed below and there is no room block. As such, rates are available on a first come, first served basis and IHEA is not responsible for managing these bookings. If interested in any of the options listed below, you can book your accommodations directly with the hotel with the links provided. If you choose, you can also use third party websites who have the potential to offer additional savings such as Booking.com, Expedia, etc.

IHEA has focused on recommending a few hotels in different price ranges in close proximity to the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). There are also a number of hotels that are a bit further from the CTICC, particularly in the nearby V&A Waterfront, which have many shops and restaurants. If you plan to stay in this area, there are regular MyCITI buses that go between the Waterfront and the CTICC.

Hotels:

$	$$	$$$
Hotel Sky Cape Town	Protea by Marriot	The Westin Cape Town
3.5-star hotel	4-star hotel	5-star hotel
Rated 4.2/5 from 1,428 Google reviews	Rated 4.5/5 from 466 Google reviews	Rated 4.6/5 from 3,795 Google reviews
2-minute walk from CTICC	5-minute walk from CTICC	2-minute walk from CTICC

The Capetonian	Park Inn by Radisson	Southern Sun the Cullinan
4-star hotel	4-star hotel	4-star hotel
Rated 3.9/5 from 1,549 Google reviews	Rated 4.4/5 from 1,982 Google reviews	Rated 4.5/5 from 2,958 Google reviews
4-minute walk from CTICC	7-minute walk from CTICC	3-minute walk from CTICC
Hotel is Halal
	Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence
	4-star hotel
	Rated 4.5/5 from 2,154 Google reviews
	9-minute walk from CTICC

Transport

Cape Town has a secure rapid transit bus system called MyCITI. There are regular MyCITI buses between the airport and the city centre as well as throughout the city. Details on MyCITI bus routes, timetables and related information can be found here. More detailed information on airport transfers using the MyCITI bus or recommended shuttle services will be provided.

You can also get around via taxi, car hire and other forms of transportation you can learn more about here.

Visas

Visas are not available on arrival at an airport, so must be applied for from the nearest South African Embassy or Consulate well before travel to South Africa. To view which countries are currently exempt from obtaining travel visas click here (updated December 20, 2022).

IHEA will provide letters of invitation to support visa applications.

You can read further information about South African visa requirements here.

Safety Tips

Cape Town is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city where visitors should exercise the same vigilance as in any other major city in the world. This includes avoiding carrying large sums of cash, not having valuables (such as cameras) visible and avoiding walking alone at night.

The hotels we are recommending are within a safe, short walking distance of the CTICC. Some delegates may prefer to select a hotel in the nearby V&A Waterfront which has a large number of shops, restaurants and diverse museums; there are frequent MyCITI buses between the Waterfront and the CTICC. Transport assistance will be provided after evening social events.

Delegates should be vigilant to avoid credit card ‘skimming’ – most restaurants and shops now provide a portable card machine so that you do not have to hand over your credit card. We recommend using the ATMs available within the CTICC.

To learn more about safety in Cape Town click here.

Things to Do & Other Information About South Africa

Cape Town is a modern, cosmopolitan city surrounded by nature. Centred around Table Mountain, one of the New 7 Wonders of the world, the Mother City is known for its beautiful beaches, stunning biodiversity, award-winning food and wine, and sheer variety of experiences on offer.

Websites with additional information:

Several prospective delegates have indicated that they would like to explore South Africa or neighbouring Southern African countries before or after the congress. The largest tour operators recommended by SA Tourism are:

For those interested in a visit to one of South Africa’s National Parks, please explore options on the official website.

Congress program

The draft program will be available by 8 May 2023. For now, you can view the overview of the program below.

COLOR CODING KEY:

Plenaries

90 minute sessions (4 long orals or 8 short orals)

Social events

Pre-congress sessions

SATURDAY 8 July, 2023

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM	Precongress sessions
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Refreshment break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM	Precongress sessions
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM	Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM	Precongress sessions
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM	Refreshment break
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM	Precongress sessions

SUNDAY 9 July, 2023

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM	Precongress sessions
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Refreshment break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM	Precongress sessions
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM	Lunch
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM	Precongress sessions
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM	Refreshment break
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM	Precongress sessions
	Break
6:00 PM – 7:40 PM	Opening plenary (Presentation to Student Paper and Early Career Researcher Prize winners)
7:40 PM – 9:00 PM	Opening reception

MONDAY 10 July, 2023

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM	Session
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Refreshment break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM	Session
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM	Lunch (Members’ meeting)
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM	Session
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM	Refreshment break
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM	Session
5:15 PM – 6:15 PM	SIG meetings
6:15 PM onwards	Sponsored social and other events

TUESDAY 11 July, 2023

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM	Session
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Refreshment break
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM	Session
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM	Lunch (Mentoring lunch)
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM	Session
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM	Refreshment break
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM	Session
5:15 PM – 6:15 PM	SIG meetings
6:30 PM – 11:30 PM	Main Social event

WEDNESDAY 12 July, 2023

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM	Session
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM	Refreshment break
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM	Session
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM	Lunch
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM	Session
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM	Break
3:15 PM – 4:45 PM	Closing plenary (incl. presentation to Wagstaff & Arrow Award winners and 2025 congress invitation)
4:45 PM – 6:00 PM	Closing reception

Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee (SC) plays a critical role in IHEA congresses given that the program is based on abstracts accepted through a rigorous peer-review process. An open call is issued for IHEA members to express their interest in serving on the panel to review abstracts submitted for each congress. Those who have served on the SC Review Panel for at least two recent congresses are eligible to be considered to serve as Program Chairs. There are two to three Program Chairs for each health economics field, who work together to finalize the abstract acceptances (from the review panel scores) and compile individual abstracts into coherent sessions. To be considered for the position of overall SC Co-Chair, an IHEA member needs to have served as a Program Chair for at least two recent congresses.

Members of the Scientific Committee for the 2023 Congress are listed below.

Ana Balsa

Chair

Universidad de Montevideo

Paula Lorgelly

Co-Chair

University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau

Program Chairs

Review Panel

Program Chairs

Review Panel

Funding Partners

Funding partners will play a critical role in the success of the first IHEA Congress to be held in Africa. Please find information on partnership opportunities in this brochure.

For more information and to discuss a funding partnership, please contact Di McIntyre at diane.mcintyre@healtheconomics.org.