Peru leads the Global Health Security Agenda, within which the country’s health reform is being implemented in order not to jeopardize medical care in case of an emergency, Peru’s Health Minister Anibal Velasquez Valdivia said.
Statements were made while speaking at the Sixty-Eighth World Health Assembly, currently held in Geneva, Switzerland.
“We are complementing the reform so that the Ministry of Health can work with more resources and through a Center for Disease Control in case of emergency, disaster, or service interruption that might put public health at risk,” the government official stated.
“Strengthening the Central Government’s capacity to face the threats and defend public health requires solid institutions not only at the national but also at the international level. That is why we are committed to enhancing WHO and PAHO, organizations that support and strengthen decision-making of States parties,” he emphasized.
On the other hand, he stressed Peru managed to include the health concept in the COP 20 climate change agenda last year in Lima. "It’s an important milestone because it changed the practice of previous 19 COPs, which did not consider the health issue despite our efforts," he told.
He explained global warming puts health and life of people in risk through catastrophic weather events, climate variability and outbreaks of infectious diseases and emerging diseases linked to ecosystem changes.
He later highlighted the progress of health reform in the country, which enabled over 16 million Peruvians to obtain public health insurance.
Starting this year, every child born in Peru will have health insurance coverage since pregnancy until five years of age. It will cover any disease, even the expensive ones such as cancer or congenital malformations, the Minister said.
(END) NDP/RRC/RMB/MVB
Published: 5/20/2015