BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority ministry of health on Thursday announced a series of reforms during an event in Jericho.

"Today marks the launch of another critical reform effort by the Ministry of Health," Michael Harvey, USAID Director for the West Bank and Gaza Mission, said in a statement.

"The Essential Package of Primary Health Care Services is an international best practice adopted and developed by the Ministry with the support of USAID's Palestinian Health Sector Reform and Development Project," he added.

The reforms are a series of best-practice measures concerning the organizational structure of the health care system and will provide a guideline for helping health care centers provide high quality services.

"The package can serve as a guide for policy makers, donors and other international organizations, and will constitute a standard for quality control and lead policy makers to define budgets strategically in order to improve the sector," Dr. Asad Ramlawi, Director General of Primary Health Care at the Ministry, said at the event.