A new series of country profiles analyzes the governance dimensions of Essential Packages of Health Services (EPHS) in the 24 Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths (EPCMD) priority countries. An EPHS can be defined as the package of services that the government is providing or is aspiring to provide to its citizens in an equitable manner. Essential packages are often expected to achieve multiple goals: improved efficiency, equity, political empowerment, accountability, and altogether more effective care.