Technical cooperation experts from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), will support Peru's Ministry of Health in the process of reforming the country's health system to improve access to care and expand health protection.
Washington, D.C., 20 March 2013 (PAHO/WHO) — Technical cooperation experts from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO), will support Peru's Ministry of Health in the process of reforming the country's health system to improve access to care and expand health protection.
"Reforms are different in every country. PAHO can support this process and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experiences so that Peru can advance along its own course," said PAHO Director Carissa F. Etienne in a meeting with Vice-Minister of Health José Del Carmen Sara and Director-General of International Cooperation Victor Cuba.
Etienne noted that achieving universal health coverage is a top priority for PAHO and praised Peru for its efforts in this area. "Everyone needs access to health care, whether it's a pregnant mother, someone with pneumonia or someone with HIV," she said, adding that health promotion and prevention were also key elements that must be included in health reform.
Del Carmen Sara noted that health reform has been going on for a number years in his country, and health coverage has expanded as a result of social protection policies and decentralization. Currently more than 65% of the population has public health coverage. Challenges to further expansion include financing and human resource issues, including salaries as well as the number and availability of human resources for health.
PAHO/WHO has an office in Peru that provides technical cooperation to the Ministry of Health. For more information visit http://www.paho.org/per.
