Andean countries advance in mapping health occupations with PAHO support

Washington D.C., 12 September 2025 - The Technical Committee on Human Resources of the Andean Health Agency - Hipólito Unanue Agreement (in Spanish ORAS-CONHU) met virtually to follow up on the ongoing work to map health occupations in the Andean subregion, with the support of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The process, launched in March 2025 in Lima during the Workshop on the Development of the Minimum Matrix of Denominations of Professions and Occupations in the Andean Subregion, aims to identify common health professions, their titles, occupational profiles, and training requirements. To this end, ORAS-CONHU requested PAHO's technical support, which proposed the use of a tool developed by its Human Resources for Health Unit and adapted to the Andean context.

In the first phase, countries advanced in identifying the professions of medicine, nursing, dentistry, and midwifery, and agreed to include others such as pharmacy, physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, and clinical laboratory. The methodology applied allows for the systematization of information on professional regulation, academic training, areas of work, and national titles, facilitating comparison and harmonization in a regional matrix.

The meeting, coordinated by Yadira Salas, coordinator of the Andean Human Resources in Health Committee, and Isabel Duré, international consultant on human resources for health at PAHO, reviewed national progress in filling out the matrix and the challenges identified in some professions. It was agreed to continue with bilateral meetings during September and October, with a view to consolidating a final version of the Minimum Matrix in an upcoming subregional meeting.

The meeting brought together national focal points from member countries, the ORAS-CONHU technical team, specialists from PAHO's Human Resources for Health Unit in the Department of Health Systems and Services, and PAHO country advisors. This activity is part of the annual work agreement between PAHO and ORAS-CONHU.

PAHO reaffirms its commitment to continue supporting Andean countries in strengthening the planning, training, and management of human resources for health, as a fundamental pillar for advancing toward more equitable, resilient, and people-centered health systems.