Quarterly Report 4: October – December 2010

The project fostered dialogue among political parties to discuss new health issues, including the increase of chronic diseases and the main problems of the health workforce. An end-of-year meeting was held on December 29, where the main leaders and representatives of 16 political parties renewed their commitments to continue seeking policy consensus during the national political campaign of 2011. To strengthen decentralization of the health sector, the project provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health's Decentralization Office (DO) and the Intergovernmental Health Committee (IHC). The project facilitated IHC assembly meetings conducted by the Minister of Health, with participation of all MOH Directors and the 26 Regional Health Directors (RHD). The project also appointed a full-time advisor in health financial issues to support the National Assembly of Regional Presidents (ANGR). At the regional level, the project provided technical assistance in decentralization, focusing on the reorganization of San Martin RHD, the elaboration of the organizational redesign of Cusco RHD, and the re-delimitation of health networks and micro networks in Apurimac and Huánuco. The project also supported the RHD of San Martin, Huánuco, Cusco, and Ayacucho in organizing workshops with local authorities to analyze goals accomplishments and budget allocation, aiming to reduce chronic malnutrition. To advance in the elaboration of multi-year health investments plans at the regional level, the project finished the elaboration of guidelines and excel worksheets that will be validated in one region next year. The Ministry of Finance (MEF) suggested that this methodology will be part of the 2011 budgeting cycle of the regional government, agreeing to issue the necessary norms to facilitate its implementation. The project also provided technical assistance to Cusco RHD and CTIR in the analysis of health resource allocation to ensure efficiency and equity. Additionally, the project supported the ANGR President in the discussion of universal health insurance (UHI) implementation and health insurance (SIS) payments to the Regional Governments, which ended in successful agreements during the last 2010 IHC meeting. The project's activities were implemented in five regions: Apurimac, Ayacucho, Cusco, Huánuco, and San Martin. The project's technical assistance was provided to various institutions, including the Ministry of Health, the Intergovernmental Health Committee, the National Assembly of Regional Presidents, and the Regional Health Directors. The project's progress during the fourth quarter of 2010 was marked by the implementation of various activities aimed at strengthening decentralization of the health sector, supporting the National Assembly of Regional Presidents, and advancing in the elaboration of multi-year health investments plans at the regional level. The project's technical assistance was provided to various institutions, and the project's activities were implemented in five regions.