Health as a pillar for economic and social development
KOICA and PAHO are working together to ensure that everyone in Bolivia has access to health services.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is strongly committed to the health sector as essential for social and economic development in Bolivia and has contributed significantly to reducing gaps and inequities in people's access to health services.
KOICA, a government agency of Korea, is currently the most important bilateral partner of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Bolivia and is responsible for implementing and managing the non-reimbursable financial cooperation of the Korean government for partner countries. KOICA’s partnership with PAHO began in 2013, was consolidated through different projects, and today is one of the most stable of PAHO’s partners in Bolivia.
Its main mission is to contribute to social and economic development in Bolivia through different cooperative programs. It works mainly in transport, agriculture, and energy, with a very strong emphasis in health.
Commitment to equity, quality and governance of health systems
Since 2018, KOICA and PAHO, together with Bolivian authorities, have been working to improve stewardship and governance of health systems. The project addresses health service networks as a whole with the aim of eliminating segmentation. In addition, it focuses on comprehensive health care for individuals, with a focus on rights, gender issues, ethnicity, and health throughout a person’s life span.
The project benefits almost half a million people in the communities of Urbana and Cuenca Poopó in the department of Oruro. KOICA contributes almost US$ 3 million, used to strengthen implementation of departmental policies and plans to establish health networks in the area to achieve a more effective health system focused on offering equity and quality services to people.
Through this initiative with PAHO, KOICA supports solutions for the whole health system, and has broken with the more traditional approach of contributing to separate plans and program activities.
KOICA’s ability to adapt its collaboration to the needs of the moment became clear in 2020 when the original project was adjusted to allocate part of its funds to Bolivia’s health system for responding to COVID-19. Repurposing the funds made it possible to train health personnel and support the Ministry of Health in managing the pandemic.
With its strong commitment to the health sector, its flexibility and its clear focus in reducing inequities, KOICA continues to be a key partner for PAHO in improving the health of the Bolivian people.