Within the framework of the United Nations Development Account project “Resilient health systems with universal coverage in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the field visit titled “Implementation of the Universal PHC Programme in Chile: exchange of lessons learned” was held.  

The activities took place in the city of Santiago and in the municipalities of Coltauco, San José de Maipo and La Pintana, with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Colombia, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of Guatemala, and the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). 

The objective of the visit was to enable the delegations to directly observe Chile’s experience in the process of universalizing Primary Health Care (PHC), while also fostering a space for dialogue and reflection among the participating countries. Through this exchange, the visit enabled participants to share lessons learned, challenges and approaches that could be adapted to different national contexts. 

The first day was focused on providing an overall framework on the Chilean health system and the strategy of the Universal PHC Program. The opening session was led by Alberto Arenas de Mesa, Director of the Social Development Division of ECLAC, who highlighted health as a central pillar of inclusive and sustainable social development and underscored the strategic role of PHC in advancing towards universal, comprehensive, sustainable and resilient health systems.  

Subsequently, Bernardo Martorell, Undersecretary of Healthcare Networks of the Chilean Ministry of Health, presented the main characteristics of the Chilean health system, its historical evolution, institutional organization and key challenges. Officials from the Ministry of Health then delved into the components of the program, its financing, the political dimension of the reform, the role of social and community participation, and the importance of interoperable information systems and integrated health service networks. 

The second day took place in the municipality of Coltauco, where local authorities presented the implementation of the program at the territorial level, highlighting how a range of health services has been adapted to the specific needs of the population. Key challenges were discussed, including infrastructure limitations, shortages of health personnel and emergency response capacity. At the same time, the resilience and commitment of health teams and the central role of community participation were emphasized.  

The third day included visits to San José de Maipo and La Pintana. In San José de Maipo, attention was drawn to strategies designed to ensure health coverage in a context marked by rurality, territorial dispersion and access constraints, incorporating an intercultural approach to care. In La Pintana, the delegations learned about the municipal health network and various territorial health facilities that bring services closer to the community, as well as experiences of intersectoral work between health and education aimed at promoting the population’s comprehensive well-being. 

The visit concluded at ECLAC with a space for collective reflection, where delegations identified key lessons, including the involvement of local authorities, the use of technological tools to improve connectivity, and the importance of linking health management with territorial and community-based governance. These reflections, together with the experiences gained in the field, are captured in the following video, which illustrates the value of regional exchange in advancing universal, comprehensive, sustainable, and resilient health systems, leaving no one behind. 

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE