Universal health coverage: effective access to quality health services
AFD and PAHO are working to develop an integrated network of health services in San Juan province that will be a model for the country.
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) an institution of the French government, considers universal health coverage to be one of the most powerful drivers of social equality, and that premise underpins the agency’s focus on supporting countries by contributing to their social development.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and AFD are working to develop an integrated network of health services based on primary health care in the province of San Juan de la Maguana, in the Dominican Republic. The network aims to improve people’s access to quality health services.
AFD supports international solidarity and development aid projects, and carries out its mission through loans, donations, knowledge exchanges and technical advice in areas ranging from climate change, biodiversity, education, and urban planning to peace and health, among others. Its more than 4,000 development projects and programs support economic, social, and environmental progress in approximately 115 countries, helping to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
AFD considers universal health coverage to be essential and it seeks to guarantee that good medical care is accessible to everyone. In the healthcare sector, it focuses on projects that improve access to quality health care, that reduce maternal and infant mortality, and that can help end the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, among other diseases. It is allied with partners to improve everything from infrastructure to human resources to the governance of health systems and the availability of equipment and medicines, and it supports financing mechanisms to ensure equitable access to healthcare.
A model of care centered on people and quality health services
In 2019, PAHO in the Dominican Republic and AFD began to explore collaborating on a primary health care project. In coordination with the country’s Ministry of Public Health and the National Health Service, it was decided that the initiative would be carried out in the province of San Juan de la Maguana, which has a population of just under 250,000. In December 2020, both organizations signed an agreement whereby AFD will contribute US $ 250,000 for two and a half years, and PAHO will provide technical advice to the country’s National Health Service during the project’s implementation.
The initiative will develop a provincial network of services for primary health care to make it more accessible, equitable and efficient, and to improve its technical quality so that it can better meet the needs of the population. To implement the project, an evaluation will be made of the integrated network of health services, specifically its care model, organization and management, using an assessment tool developed by PAHO. The results of the evaluation will make it easier to identify gaps and help with planning improvements, (done in collaboration with local actors) to the province's service network.
The effort could be a model for the entire country, helping to expand equitable access to comprehensive, quality health services centered on individuals, families and communities.
AFD is an essential partner for PAHO in its goal to achieve universal health in the Americas and guarantee that all people have access to quality health services without discrimination and without facing financial difficulties.