Capacities in Essential Health Functions Public (EPHF) as a vehicle for Social Justice in the Americas

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) defined Essential Health Functions Public (EPHF) as a technical framework to assessing status of public health and supporting interventions towards improving public health infrastructure, implementing good governance, and achieving social justice. Health systems in Latin America are characterized by heterogeneous levels of institutional development, segmentation, fragmentation; and limited social and financial protection. The development of a validated self-assessment tool to identify capacities to adequately perform EPHF has been prioritized. Working experiences with health authorities at national and subnational levels allowed the authors to propose a methodological structure for the definition of vital capacities in terms human resources, information systems; technological, financial and organizational resources. These capacities are supported upon existing legislation, technical standards and existing protocols. The EPHF number eleven: “Reduction of the impact of emergencies and disasters on health”; served as the piloting one. A total of six products and services (PAS) and 38 activities (ACTS) vital to the adequate performance of this EPHF were identified. These PAS and ACTS are key for the core or vital technical team responsible for coordinating and implementing actions in regards to EPHF's. Priorities for future actions were identified after the process: 1) To promote the use of the self-assessment tool; 2) to promote the strengthening of health authorities across the EPHF's; 3) to promote the exchange of experiences with countries in the Americas at national and subnational levels; and, 4) to strengthening human resource's capabilities for FESP through the implementation of virtual and distance learning courses.