Washington, D.C., August 20, 2026 (PAHO) — Chile joined the Network on Essential Public Health Functions to Strengthen Stewardship and Governance (RedFESP) as a new member country during a new session of its virtual seminar series dedicated to the regional exchange of experiences on the institutionalization of Essential Public Health Functions (EPHFs).
On behalf of the RedFESP Presidency, Iritzel Santamaría, Deputy Director of Health Planning of Panama, welcomed Chile’s representative and highlighted that “its incorporation will further strengthen technical cooperation and the exchange of experiences among our countries.”
The meeting brought together representatives from Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Panama, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. The session focused on presenting preliminary findings from the regional study being developed by RedFESP to document experiences and analyze EPHF institutionalization processes across the Region.
As part of the agenda, Maritza Pérez, Director of Sectoral Steering at the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of the Dominican Republic, presented the country’s experience in implementing and institutionalizing EPHF assessment. The presentation highlighted the role of stewardship functions established within the national legal framework, the implementation of a participatory national assessment with PAHO technical support, and the use of results to guide sector planning and address identified gaps.
Preliminary findings from the RedFESP regional study identified shared patterns across countries related to the assessment, planning, monitoring, and continuous improvement of EPHFs.
The findings show that institutionalization processes are typically supported by both regulatory frameworks and formal governance mechanisms, as well as organizational practices developed by technical teams to integrate EPHFs into the day-to-day management of health systems. In this context, Ernesto Báscolo, Chief of PAHO’s Primary Health Care and Integrated Service Delivery Unit, noted that “we are building an action-oriented systematization whose objective is to identify common elements that can help countries strengthen their institutionalization processes and the continuous improvement of EPHFs.”
During the technical exchange, participants agreed that the institutionalization of EPHFs requires that assessment results be translated into decisions, action plans, and permanent management mechanisms. Participants also emphasized the importance of expanding ownership of EPHFs beyond ministries of health by engaging other government sectors, academia, and civil society.
The seminar series is part of RedFESP’s 2026 Work Plan and seeks to promote mutual learning, strengthen collaboration among countries, and contribute inputs to the regional document currently under development. The study’s findings will continue to be updated with contributions from member countries and will serve as a basis for future technical cooperation actions across the Region.
About RedFESP
RedFESP is an initiative promoted by the Member States of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) aimed at strengthening public health stewardship and governance through the implementation, assessment, and institutionalization of Essential Public Health Functions (EPHFs).
