Belize City, Belize, February 20, 2026 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), with funding support from the European Union through the Universal Health Coverage Partnership (UHC-P), supported Belize’s Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) in strengthening its operational planning processes, placing integration at the center of health system improvement.
As Belize advances implementation of the Health Sector Strategic Plan 2025–2034, expanding access to services remains a national priority. Strengthening integration across programs, services, and institutions is essential to ensure continuity of care, reduce duplication, and address existing gaps. Integration is key to expanding equitable access to comprehensive health services while ensuring the efficient use of available financial, human, and technological resources.
During a national workshop, senior and technical officers from the MoHW reviewed progress under the Operational Plan 2025–2026 and assessed current levels of integration at the macro (national) level of management. This initial exercise focused on national stewardship, policy alignment, resource governance, and system-wide coordination functions.
Through technical sessions, participants identified strengths, bottlenecks, and priority actions to progressively move from fragmented or partially integrated practices toward higher levels of integration at the national level. Discussions emphasized strengthening alignment between policy and implementation, improving coordination across programs, reinforcing accountability mechanisms, and ensuring that national planning decisions effectively support service delivery across the country.
The workshop resulted in a baseline macro-level integration profile and a prioritized set of operational actions to guide short- and medium-term implementation, reinforcing integration as a central pillar of health sector reform.
Through this collaboration, PAHO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Belize in strengthening governance, improving system coherence, and advancing toward universal, equitable, and integrated health services for all.
