National Health Sector Plan 2011-2018.

The National Health Sector Plan 2011-2018 is a national plan with a cross-sectoral approach that provides the required vision and direction for the development and management of all aspects of the health system over the next eight years. The strategic agenda is divided in three strategic directions of work for the health sector: 1) Health Programs; 2) Health systems, and 3) Determinants of health. Health programs will focus on prevention and reduction of the burden of non-communicable and communicable diseases, health over the life course, and prevention and reduction of the burden of mental diseases. In strengthening health systems to achieve national, regional, and global health objectives, the health systems and service delivery should: (i) reform leadership, stewardship and governance through increasing leadership capacities in all areas and levels of health sector, (ii) increase health financing, (iii) build the capacity of the human resources in the health workforce, (iv) improve the health information systems, and (v) develop pharmaceuticals and new technologies. With regard to the determinants of health, the priority areas include the environmental and occupational health, the social and economic determinants of health, and emergencies and disasters. To address nutrition issues some standards and guidelines have been developed. WHO Child Growth Standards are incorporated in a new child health record. roper structuring and functioning of the national Codex Alimentarius Committee and its work groups will advance national food regulations and standards. To further safeguard national food safety issues, training of food handlers, regular inspection of food establishments and capacity building in safe use of pesticides is done by the Bureau of Public Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries.
The strategic plan includes clearly defined roles for the Ministry of Health as well as the Bureau of Public Health and all other stakeholders of the health sector namely the primary health care institutions and the hospitals. In order to achieve the objectives of the National Health Sector Plan 2011 – 2018 it is important that the MOH works as well in partnership with other government agencies, the private sector, Pan American Health Organization/WHO Suriname, the UN agencies and all the development partners in Suriname. Monitoring and evaluation of this plan will be done using the existing systems namely National Heath Information System (NHIS) at Ministry of Health, Epidemiology / Biostatistics department at Bureau of Public Health, the medical registries in the hospitals and at the primary health care institutions. To support the data collection a Monitoring & Evaluation Plan will be developed for this NHSP. A financial and technical progress report will be produced annually.