Intersectoral collaboration in the COVID-19 response in Latin America and the Caribbean.

World Health Organization (WHO) / Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) encouraged the utilization of whole-of-society and whole-of-government strategic approaches to increase countries' resilience towards mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Strategies included the implementation of multi-sectoral, multi-partner and multi-stakeholder planning, coordination, consultation, and action. We reviewed the experiences of three Latin American and Caribbean countries, related to the implementation of collaborative strategies in tackling COVID-19, specifically the nature of the collaboration, the dynamics and the stakeholders involved.A systematic literature review identified relevant publications and content analysis was conducted to determine the collaborative strategies. Colombia, Costa Rica, and Trinidad and Tobago were selected as case studies since they were from different LAC subregions and because of the accessibility of relevant literature.In the three countries, the pandemic response was coordinated by a national executive committee, led by the Ministry of Health. Intersectoral collaboration was evident in each, with the key stakeholders being public sector agencies, the private/corporate sector, private/non-profit, academic institutions, and international agencies. It was used primarily to facilitate data-driven, evidenced-informed decision-making and guidelines; to expand clinical care capacity and strengthen the national medical response; and to provide support for the most vulnerable populations.While the institutionalization of intersectoral collaboration can be recommended for the health sector beyond the pandemic, research is needed to evaluate the impact of specific collaborative strategies as well as barriers and facilitators.

Leadership Politics and the Evolution of the Universal Health Insurance Reform in Peru.

Peru is now on a path toward achieving universal health coverage (UHC), with 87% of its population covered by health insurance. This paper describes the politics surrounding the agenda setting and policy formulation process that led up to the adoption of Peru's Universal Health Coverage Act in 2009, which has been instrumental in expanding coverage. This reform established a mandatory health insurance system, which includes an Essential Health Benefit Package (Plan Esencial de Aseguramiento en Salud-PEAS) that is financed by three health insurance schemes (subsidized, contributory and semi-contributory). Collectively these schemes are intended to cover the entire population of Peru. In exploring the politics of the health reform process, the commentary applies the Political Economy of Health Financing Framework, presented in this special issue. It does so from the point of view of a participant in the reform process. Some broader lessons emerge that extend beyond Peru regarding the changing nature of the leadership roles in each phase of the policy cycle. In particular, the analysis highlights the importance of a consensus building process across a range of political stakeholders to set the health reform on the policy agenda and as well as to preemptively identify and resolve disagreements that might arise in the legislative phase.