The study focuses on financing arrangements enacted to ensure the predictability of funding and the sustainability in the level and flow of funds over the medium and long terms to carry out essential public health functions in Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. The study also highlights the relationship between the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and its member states.
The Essential Public Health Services (EPHS) provided a framework for mapping the allocation of resources to determine if expenditures are directed to areas which support existing policy directives. By flagging what may be potential shortfalls in financing in some components of the EPHS, the study provides a basis for exploring targeted interventions for the health systems of these countries. Additionally, the study reviews the financial flows to EPHS by CARPHA via a review of available information.