[The many challenges of population health and healthcare in Suriname since 1975]

ABSTRACT

Suriname inherited a weak colonial health system after political independence in 1975. In the decades that followed, political and economic developments have had an undeniable influence on the health situation and healthcare in Suriname, as well as on the (feasibility of the implementation of) plans to reform the healthcare system. The Surinamese health outcomes are not only particularly unfavorable compared to the Netherlands, but also compared to other states in the Caribbean region. Some national determinants strongly related to the implementation of effective health measures contribute to this a low GDP, low control on corruption, sparsely populated areas and high ethnic diversity. The enormous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Suriname appears to have been the tipping point for a renewed relationship with the Netherlands. Almost 50 years after political independence, the Surinamese Ministry of Health, with the support of funding and expertise from the Netherlands, is embarking on an ambitious program to restore the health system.