Recorded presentation

Marcela Huaita, Social Sciences, San Marcos University, Lima - Peru, Av. Brasil 3963, Magdalena, Lima, 17, Peru, 511-4443416, mhuaita@amauta.rcp.net.pe and Mario Rios, Public Health, Cayetano Heredia Univertsity, Av. La Paz 596 - 2do piso, Miraflores, Lima, 18, Peru.

There are frequent violations of user rights in Peru’s health facilities, and there is no reliable system in place to address these violations. A case in point was the voluntary surgical contraception (VSC) campaign of the 1990s, whose reversal was slow primarily because of health providers’ ignorance about user rights. Accordingly, findings from a recent qualitative study in Peru clearly showed that family planning users, non users and community leaders had little faith in the health system’s ability to find and implement adequate solutions to violations of user rights. In response to these findings, the POLICY Project designed a strategy to improve the protection of user rights by creating partnerships between health providers and civil society organizations (CSOs). The strategy also targeted local authorities and policymakers who influence decisions about health services and planning and reproductive health issues. Within this context, the Peruvian Association of Public Health Law and two local NGOs formed specialized pilot centres for dispute resolution and conflict prevention (DRCP) to protect the rights of health sector users in three Peruvian cities. These centers received widespread political and community support. Representatives of the Regional Health Direction, the Ombudsman’s Office, the Medical and Nurses’ Associations, and NGOs joined the centers’ Boards of Directors in a first time collaboration with CSOs, to promote capacity building of health professionals in the prevention and resolution of conflicts related with health rights. This presentation will showcase Peru’s successful pilot efforts at DRCP and discuss some key outcomes of the process

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Discuss a Latin American experience focus in users rights which are considered a key tool to get outcomes in reproductive health.
• Articulate synergetic strategies between institutions of health providers and civil society organisations
• List 3 alternative mechanisms of dispute resolutions which could be applied in protecting user rights in health facilities

Keywords: Community-Based Partnership, Human Rights

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I work as consultant for the Policy Project Peruvian' office.

Recorded presentation