Belize City, Belize, March 21, 2025 (PAHO) - Through the European Union-Funded Health Sector Support Programme Project, PAHO/WHO Belize partnered with Belize’s Ministry of Health and Wellness to provide technical cooperation and support for the development and launch of its Strategic Health Plan for 2025-2034. The plan outlines a comprehensive approach to address Belize’s health challenges and strengthen its overall health system over the next decade.
The plan also aligns with the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) principles on Equity in Access, Financial Protection, Quality of Care, Comprehensive Service Coverage, Efficiency & Sustainability, and Governance & Accountability. These principles will guide the country’s health priorities, ensuring a healthier and empowered population.
Addressing Belize’s Health Challenges
Belize faces multiple health challenges, including the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDS) such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and mental health disorders. Violence-related health conditions and injuries also pose a challenge. Additionally, communicable and vector-borne diseases and antimicrobial resistance remain critical priorities.
The BHSSP 2025-2034 acknowledges these challenges while also recognizing the need to address gaps in maternal, infant, child, and adolescent health and vaccine-preventable diseases. The plan also factored in the growing threat of climate change, the gaps in human resources, and the need for stronger governance and digital transformation of the health sector.
BHSSP 2025-20234’s Three Key Strategic Objectives
- Strengthen the leadership and stewardship of the Ministry of Health and Wellness by enhancing governance, leadership, accountability, and decision-making. Building on initiatives like the Essential Public Health Functions Action Plan developed in 2023, the plan will strengthen Belize’s ability to assess, develop policies, allocate resources, and improve access to health services.
- Establish a comprehensive, equitable, and people-centered health system strengthened by a solid governance structure. This objective focuses on improving service delivery, financing, and workforce development. This includes integrating Better Care for NCDs into primary health care to ensure early diagnosis and long-term management and care with active participation from all levels.
- Promoting healthier choices and behaviors among individuals, families, and communities by empowering them to understand and actively exercise their Right to Health. The plan emphasizes the importance of education and prevention programs that encourage proactive and preventative behaviors to reduce the burden of disease.
Belize’s Progress and Commitment to Disease Elimination
Belize has made commendable progress, particularly in efforts like the PAHO Disease Elimination Initiative, which aims to eradicate or eliminate over 30 communicable diseases, including mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria, cervical cancer and other infectious diseases, by 2030. Belize has already achieved significant success in eliminating malaria and mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, measles, rubella, and polio.
However, there is more work to be done. Strategic Objective Two of the BHSSP 2025-2034 will focus on expanding disease prevention and treatment services for neglected infectious diseases like Chagas and Leishmaniasis. Ensuring solid governance, surveillance, and monitoring systems will lead to maintaining successes and advancing disease elimination efforts.
A Whole-of-Society Approach to Health
“As we work towards these goals, I would also like to emphasize the importance of strong intra and intersectoral collaboration,” said Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell, PAHO/WHO Representative of Belize. “Health is not solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Achieving the objectives of the Belize Health Sector Strategic Plan requires collaboration across all sectors, including healthcare, education, finance, social protection, human development, industry and commerce, environmental agencies, civil society organizations, and the private sector. The Health in All Policies approach and the placement of health at the center of development will help to strengthen the multi-sectoral coordination needed to address the determinants of health.”
Dr. Lewis-Bell further emphasized the importance of community engagement and empowerment through awareness building, risk communication, and ensuring that healthcare services are not only available and accessible, but inclusive and culturally relevant to achieve universal access.
The Belize Health Sector Strategic Plan 2025-2034 lays a solid foundation for building an equitable, resilient, and people-centered health system. The PAHO/WHO Belize Country Office remains fully committed to supporting Belize in its journey toward achieving its vision of a healthy and empowered population.
Access Belize’s Health Strategic Plan Here.
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