Supplement 3. Interim guide on the development of an action plan for strengthening the essential public health functions (Phase 3)

Abstract

This guide accompanies the publication Implementation of the Essential Public Health Functions in the Americas: Evaluation and Strengthening of Capacities, which presents and describes the essential public health functions (EPHF) and provides guidance on how to effectively implement, evaluate, and strengthen them in the Region of the Americas.

In order to carry out the stated objectives, a three-phase exercise is used. The first focuses on situation analysis and institutional mapping to determine the current overview of the health system, as well as its institutional and regulatory framework; the second focuses on measuring institutional capacities and gaps for the exercise of the EPHF, and the third is dedicated to gap analysis and the development of the action plan, which becomes an essential political decision-making tool for the development of health plans and policies at different levels and scope in a country.

For more in-depth understanding and effective implementation, the main document is complemented by three guides, corresponding to the abovementioned phases, which detail key tools to guide the implementation of the EPHF in various contexts: the first is Supplement 1: Interim Guide on Health System Overview and Institutional Mapping of the EPHF (Phase 1); the second, presented here, is Supplement 2: Interim Guide on the Measurement of Institutional Capacities of the EPHF (Phase 2); and finally, Supplement 3: Interim Guide on the Development of an action plan for strengthening the EPHF (Phase 3).

These guides offer a comprehensive approach to strengthening the EPHF, ensuring that public health professionals have the necessary tools to address current and future challenges in a variety of contexts.