Peru - Plans for Centennial Celebrations
![[NEW!]](../../../Images/DPI/100/new.gif) President of Peru decorates PAHO for its 100 years
 During the ceremony in which the "Orden del Sol" was conferred on the Pan American Health Organization, President Alejandro Toledo stated that his government has given priority to health, nutrition, and education on the political agenda of the coming years because they directly affect the Peruvian people, who are the engines of development of the country.
He added that without healthy men and women it is not possible to build a good future and that without well nourished and healthy children it is impossible to have good students. Thus, he said, "we have initiated a plan to implement the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (SIS) that has as its goal to ensure coverage of 100% of the population by the year 2006, incorporating the 25% of Peruvians who until now were excluded from quality health services".
Upon the conferring of the medal of the "Orden del Sol" in the degree of " Grande Cruz" to the Pan American Health Organization, represented by its director, Dr. George Alleyne, president Alejandro Toledo declared that since PAHO was created, smallpox was eradicated at the global level, polio was eliminated from the continent and measles is on the way to elimination.
PAHO celebrates 100 years at the service of health in Peru
 Important government officials , representatives of medical organizations and the social security system, professional associations, municipal authorities, and other public figures were all present at the ceremony that the PAHO representation in Peru held in September to celebrate 100 years of health.
Among the participants were Dr. Luis Solari de la Fuente, president of the Council of Ministers; Fernando Carbone Campoverde, Minister of Health; Oscar Ugarte Ubilluz, Vice Minister of Health; and Dr. Marie Andrée Diouf, PAHO/WHO Representative in Peru. Furthermore, former ministers, deans of health-related colleges, as well as municipal and academic authorities also were in attendance.
The keynote address was delivered by PAHO Director, Dr. George Alleyne, who declared that the principal challenge of public health in this century will be to balance the human and financial demands of new and continuing infectious diseases versus those of chronic, noncommunicable diseases. In the same vein, health authorities should make more concerted efforts to maintain the balance between the environment and health.
Dr. Alleyne said that a healthy population will improve economic growth in the countries and will "lift people out of poverty or prevent them from falling in the trap of poverty from which it is difficult to escape." According to the director of the Pan American Health Organization, the other main challenge for Health in the Americas is to recognize inequalities in the access to health services, "and decide to reduce them".
Student from Peru Wins Pan American Centennial Essay Contest
 Róger Flores López, age 17, from Peru, was the winner of the Pan American Centennial Essay Contest. He will receive a cash prize of $500 and a computer provided by Discovery Health Latin America, and is being recognized in press releases distributed throughout the Hemisphere. His winning essay is called "Unidos por la Salud (United for Health)."
"Healthy Park"
The "Healthy Park" initiative in Peru was launched on June 7, 2002. The park is located in the Settlement "Mateo Pumacahua" in the district of Surco in Lima. The initiative is being sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) that is providing funding for construction and technical assistance.
The planners of the project asked children, young people, adults, and the elderly residents of the community what they wanted in the park. The design that resulted reflects that community input. The park's design represents the community's need for space for recreation, physical activity, and community wide activities. In addition, the construction will employ techniques that will preserve the environment.
During the ceremony the model of what the park will look like was presented. The Peruvian flag was raised to half-mast, in honor of the Former President of the Republic, Fernando Belaúnde, who died recently and who was the promoter of Peru's First National Health Plan.
The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Health, Dr. Fernando Carbone, PAHO/WHO Representative in Peru, Marie-Andrée Diouf, the Surco Mayor, Carlos Dargent Chamot, and delegates of educational centers and local groups of the area, among others. The first 100 trees were planted in honor of PAHO's centennial.
Peru issued its commemorative Postal Stamp in honor of the centennial
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The official launch of the centennial celebrations in Peru took place on December 17, 2001, at the representation in Lima. A PAHO/Ministry of Health Joint Commission was announced that will oversee everything that pertains to the celebration of the centennial in Peru. Those making up the Commission are as follows:
From the Ministry:
- Dr. Carlos Arósquipa, Coordinator of the Commission and representative of the Office of International Cooperation
- Dr. Héctor Pereyra Zaldivar, Executive Director of Health Promotion
- Lic. Karen Vega Coronel, Director General of Communications of the Ministry of Health
From PAHO:
- Ms. Jennie Vásquez-Solis, Coordinator of the task force of the PWR for the Centennial and Coordinator of Health Communications
- Mrs. Angela Di Liberto, Administrator of the PWR-Peru
- Ms. Rosa Meza, National Consultant in Environmental Health
The ministry has given a great deal of importance to the celebrations as one can see from the importance of the members on the commission from the Ministry. The PWR has also formed an internal task force to coordinate all of the internal details.
The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Health, Dr. Fernando Carbone and Dr. Marie-Andree Diouf, PWR-Peru. The audience consisted of national authorities, representatives of public and private institutions, ministries of Health, armed forces, social security, cooperating agencies, associations of university faculties, schools and professionals, municipal associations and the Health Cities Network.
The schedule of the six major activities for the centennial year was announced. The six major activities are:
- The launch of a centennial stamp by the national postal authorities on World Health Day, April 7, 2002. On this day a message will go out to the entire country to promote a culture of health
- The signing of the Declaration of Maternal Mortality on May 28, 2002 by the Ministry of Health to bring maternal mortality as an indicator of health and development to the forefront of people's thinking by continuing to funnel social spending of governments and international financial institutions to social investment through investments in health
- The Central Events of the Centennial in conjunction with Environmental Day June 5-8, 2002 that will take place both in the provinces and in Lima. PAHO Director, Dr. George Alleyne, will take part in these celebrations of health environments, healthy cities, healthy municipalities and healthy societies
- Day for Older Persons events sponsored by the Ministry's Health Promotion department on August 26, 2002, bring attention to those chronic and degenerative diseases that affect older persons.
- Day of Ministry of Health and Peruvian Health on October 5, 2002, to promote people looking after people and creating a healthy culture, and
- The 100th birthday of the Pan American Health Organization on December 2, 2002, an event that will highlight the efforts of the Ministry and PAHO to create a healthy culture and a new state health policy
The Coordinator of the Joint Ministry of Health/PAHO Centennial Commission presented the origins of PAHO and paralleled them with the origins of the Ministry of Health of Peru, born just 10 months after the first meeting in Washington of the founders of PAHO, and pointed out the great achievements of health during the century in a power point presentation that was interlaced with 4 of the 12 1-minute spots that we developed here in DPI. The four spots chosen were cholera, polio, disasters and "gratitude to all of the health workers."
Please visit www.per.ops-oms.org for the latest information.
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