Public Health Infrastructure Initiative

Public Health Infrastructure Initiative (PHII)

PIHOA seeks to find solutions to common problems which affect the health in the region. One of PIHOA’s goals is to build the capacity of health agencies to operate effectively. The need for improved effectiveness is urgent in the face of the epidemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the region.  The PHII, launched in December 2010, provides assistance to member jurisdictions for their capacity building activities in the following areas:

• Strategic planning
• Human resources for health (HRH)
• Quality assurance/performance improvement (QA/PI)
• Health information systems/ information technology (HIS/IT)
• Health policy and laws

The PHII operates with grant funding from the CDC (Public Health Improvement funds), the US Association of State and Territorial Health Officers, and the Pacific Center for the Elimination of Ethnic Disparities of the University of Hawaii, among others. The PHII is guided by a Technical Working Group (TWG) of health planners and performance improvement officers from the region, together with expert advisory groups for the areas listed above. The TWG operates according to a set of Key Principles for Successful Health Projects in the Pacific, which it has formulated based on experience in the region.   The PIHOA secretariat provides administrative support with a PHII director, HRH coordinator, quality improvement specialist, and administrative assistant on staff.

Important components of the PHII at the regional level include:

• Organization of networking groups and training activities for HRH, QA/PI and HIS/IT
• Development of funds, and links to technical assistance
• Identification and development of training opportunities related to the areas above

Some of the current jurisdiction-specific PHII activities include:

• The creation of formal agency QA/PI offices
• The creation of formal health workforce planning and development offices
• Formal HIS/IT  and HRH assessment and planning processes and policies
• Upgrades in IT networks
• Development of policies and procedures for IT networks and HRH offices
• Development of food safety standards  and NCD-related policies and laws
• Training activities related to ICD coding, food safety standards, environmental health, IT networks, evidence-based PH practice
• The application of an evidence based best practice planning process to PH programs
• Creation of formal, collaborative health worker training programs

Special attention is paid to assure that the PHII complements and collaborates with colleagues in other agencies that are also working to improve the capacity of public health agencies in the region.