Like many emerging countries, Peru has high need for public health programmes, hospital facilities and health insurance systems. GIP SPSI accordingly conducted a scoping mission in that country to explore prospects for a cooperation process that had already been initiated with some French organisations.

An ongoing cooperation process

Cooperation with Peru in the area of health and social protection has already commenced through three recent initiatives:

• the signing of a cooperation agreement by the Agency for the Development and Coordination of International Relations (ADECRI) – a founder GIP member – and the sickness branch of the Peruvian social security system, EsSalud,
• the participation of ADECRI in the activities of the Andean Health Organization (ORAS) in connection with the Andean Social Security Instrument,
• a mission by the French Health Products Safety Agency (AFSSAPS) concerning a project to create an Andean drugs agency.

The GIP mission

In February 2006, GIP SPSI conducted a scoping mission in Peru. As well as officials of the French Embassy and Economic Mission, the GIP team met with many actors of the Peruvian welfare system and various international organisations in Peru, including:

• the EsSalud chairman and executive team,
• the Peruvian Minister of Health,
• the director-general for international cooperation of the Peruvian Ministry of Health,
• senior officials of the Pan American Health Organization (OPS),
• senior officials from the Lima office of the Andean Development Corporation (CAF),
• representatives of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IBD),
• senior officials of the Delegation of the European Commission in Peru.

The meetings, which were highly constructive, revealed very high expectations on the part of the Peruvian authorities and Andean cooperation actors regarding cooperation activities with France.

Peruvian requirements

Though requirements were very high and broad in scope, the scoping mission culminated in a consensus on three priority areas for action:

1) The continuation of cooperation with the Andean Health Organization – the body that coordinates the Andean Social Security Instrument - and the Andean Drugs Agency (France contributes expertise to both organisations).
2) The initiation of cooperation with the Peruvian Ministry of Health on priority issues, namely emergency services, safe blood supply, hospital modernisation and vaccinations for the indigenous population.
3) Strengthening of the partnership with EsSalud, with a view to improving its performance as the main Peruvian public body in the health insurance sector.

Project funding

Alongside the process of identifying and prioritising needs, efforts were made to identify possible funding sources. The options explored with the multilateral funding agencies included:

• funding of expertise missions by the InterAmerican Development Bank.
• cooperation agreements with regional funding agencies, under which GIP SPSI (and by extension its members) would be eligible for funding as partners.