Health System Strengthening Seminar Monitoring Health Systems Change/Health Reforms English Speaking Caribbean Countries and Canada May 30 – June 1, 2006 Princess Hotel Belize City, Belize C.A Dr. Paul Edwards National Epidemiologist Ministry of Health, Belize

BACKGROUND Belize produced its first edition of the Health System and Service Profile in May 2001 The second edition was produced in January 2002 In 2005, Belize participated in the Health System Profile and Analysis Workshop held in Puerto Rico

BACKGROUND A module for a new format of the Health System Profile was shared with all countries to be adopted as to ensure standardization and to compare health status amongst Regions In that same year, a draft English version of the module was obtained since the workshop in Puerto Rico was in Spanish Since receiving the English version, Ministry of Health, Belize, initiated populating the statistical tables This process is a joint effort between the Epidemiology Unit and the Planning Unit of the Ministry of Health

Challenges Lack of Human Resources Data gaps Lack of a National Health System Profile Committee to oversee the commitment from the pertinent organizations as being active in the developmental process Weaknesses in the National Health Information system

Measure Taken Since Development of a new Health Information System which will support the development of the Health Profile 2006 Establishment of a core team from the Ministry of Health and PAHO to oversee the development of the Health Profile Several meetings are held between Ministry of Health and PAHO/Belize Representative, reviewing the process needed to be taken as to ensure the completion of the Health Profile 2006

Recommendations Strengthening of the Statistics component of the Epidemiology Unit, MOH Establish a Committee to oversee the smooth transition in developing present and future Health Profiles Identify and address data gaps Continuing leading role of PAHO/WHO for the development of the document

Source: The Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health

Population Pyramid - Belize 2005

Source: Central Statistical Office, Belmopan

Source: The Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health

THANK YOU