Eduardo González
The Bolivian authorities have awarded the Spanish Cooperation for its program to support the training of Bolivian health specialists.
Specifically, the Program to Support the Ministry of Health and Sports of the Plurinational State of Bolivia in the Training and Incorporation of Health Specialists and Subspecialists for the Provision of Qualified Human Resources has received, for the second consecutive year, the Esculapio 2023 National Medicine Award, granted by the Bolivian Medical Association, the ATB television network and the Medicine to the Rescue Program. The award was collected by the Spanish Ambassador to Bolivia, Francisco Javier Gassó Matoses.
Funded by the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID), it is a program of the Spanish Cooperation and the Bolivian Ministry of Health and Sports implemented in coordination with the State Foundation for Health, Childhood and Social Welfare (CSAI Foundation), which depends on the Spanish Ministry of Health and was created in 2000 to strengthen health systems at the international level.
The Esculapio 2023 Award also recognizes Spain’s support for continuing education through short courses and diploma courses for health professionals throughout the country, collaboration through training stays of Bolivian specialists in Spain and technical assistance of Spanish specialists in Bolivia, contributing to the internationalization of Bolivian health professionals.
AECID has been accompanying Bolivia in its sustainable development processes for 35 years and the V Master Plan for Spanish Cooperation considers Bolivia a priority partner, within the group of Middle Income Association countries.
In the field of health, Spanish Cooperation has been developing, since 2017, the aforementioned program to support the Bolivian Ministry of Health in the training of specialists and for the provision of qualified human resources, which focuses on improving the quality of the National Medical Residency System and whose objective is to systematize and improve the training system for resident doctors of all specialties and subspecialties taught in Bolivia. This project is developed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Sports, the University System and the Medical College, promoting profound changes in the curriculum of medical specialties. In addition, AECID supports the establishment of the Bolivian National Transplant System.
