Attachments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Over the past four decades, Seychelles has made remarkable social and economic progress. Its population enjoys free primary health care, which is guaranteed under the country's Constitution and there is universal access to health care including antiretroviral therapy, universal access to safe drinking water, good sanitation and housing provision. The country is in the high human development category and is classified as a highincome country. Gender parity in terms of educational levels and women's participation in decision-making is high. The country has made remarkable progress in health-care development through a comprehensive health-care infrastructure. The average life expectancy at birth reached 73.2 years in 2015 and infant and maternal mortality is low.
Despite its success in addressing some key health issues, Seychelles faces a number of challenges. In terms of impact and health outcomes, the life expectancy falls short of what is expected of a high-income country and the 10-year gap in life expectancy between men and women needs attention. Mortality is primarily driven by noncommunicable conditions, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and cancer that account for 60-70% of all deaths.
In the area of health services, a broad range of interventions are available to respond to health needs. A comprehensive national health policy and national health strategy have been elaborated, which are mainstreamed into the Sustainable Development Strategy for Seychelles. These are informed by the need to consolidate the achievements made in the MDGs, and build towards attaining the Sustainable Development Agenda imperatives. A strong emphasis is being placed on interventions that address risk factors contributing to HIV, Hepatitis C, and noncommunicable conditions.
The health system is being re-engineered to align it with this SDG focus. Efforts at improving health workforce sustainability and productivity are prioritized, to improve on availability of specialized health workers and reduce dependence on imported workers. In addition, innovative, IT-driven methods for health information system management are being introduced, to accelerate availability and use of information in decision-making. Service delivery systems are being redesigned to focus more on person-centred services, and strengthening community/household capacities and involvement in health actions. Better and more efficient health financing modalities are being explored, to improve on the efficiency of use of available resources.
This third generation CCS therefore defines how WHO will support Seychelles in attaining its health agenda, in the context of the SDGs. It was developed through extensive consultation with health and health-related stakeholders in government and non-government entities active in Seychelles. It is informed by the National Health Strategic Plan, and the UN Strategic Partnership Agreement which defines the Government's, and the UN's focus respectively during this period.
The CCS is built around the following five strategic priorities that were identified for WHO cooperation with the Government of Seychelles: communicable and noncommunicable diseases, service quality, organization and management, human resources for health and health for all at all ages. follows: