The Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) in Haiti is a complex and evolving concept. The government of Haiti first defined a Paquet Minimum de Services (PMS) for the first level of the health system in the Plan Stratégique du Secteur de la Santé́ pour la Réforme 2003-2008. A 2006 revision of this PMS was referenced in several recent publications, but the document was not clearly posted on the Ministry of Health and Population website. Instead, a revised version of the PMS for the first level of the health system was identified from an obscure part of the Ministry of Public Health and Population website.
The government then defined a PMS for the secondary level of the health system in Annex 3 of the Ministry of Health and Population’s Plan Interimaire du Secteur Santé Avril 2010 – Septembre 2011. The next generation of the PMS is referred to as the Paquet Essentiel de Services (PES), which is intended to replace the PMS. However, there is some confusion and uncertainty related to the existence and definition of the PES in Haiti.
Based on analysis, the government of Haiti’s 2006 revision of the PMS, plus the list of services for the secondary level defined in 2010, most closely fits the definition of the country’s current EPHS. Once the PES is complete, it will become the current version of Haiti’s EPHS. The EPHS in Haiti is expected to achieve multiple goals, including improved efficiency, equity, political empowerment, accountability, and more effective care.
The EPHS in Haiti is expected to include a range of services, including reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health interventions. The priority reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) interventions developed by the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health in 2011 include a range of services, such as antenatal care, delivery care, postnatal care, and family planning.
The government of Haiti has made efforts to strengthen its health system and improve access to health services. The Ministry of Health and Population has defined a range of health services, including the PMS and the PES. However, there is still some confusion and uncertainty related to the existence and definition of the PES in Haiti.
The Health Finance and Governance Project has produced a series of country snapshots, including one on Haiti, to explore the dimensions of the EPHS in the country. The snapshot includes annexes that contain further information about the EPHS, including the country’s most recently published package, a comparison of the country’s package to the list of priority RMNCH services, and a profile of health equity in the country.
The EPHS in Haiti is expected to be an essential package of health services that the government is providing or aspiring to provide to its citizens in an equitable manner. The package is expected to achieve multiple goals, including improved efficiency, equity, political empowerment, accountability, and more effective care. The EPHS in Haiti is expected to include a range of services, including reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health interventions.
The snapshot includes annexes that contain further information about the EPHS, including the country’s most recently published package, a comparison of the country’s package to the list of priority RMNCH services, and a profile of health equity in the country. The EPHS in Haiti is expected to be an essential package of health services that the government is providing or aspiring to provide to its citizens in an equitable manner.