Ministry of Health (Peru)

The Ministry of Health (Spanish: Ministerio de Salud, MINSA) of Peru is the government ministry in charge of the country's healthcare system. As of 2025, the minister of Health is César Vásquez Sánchez. History The ministry was created on October 5, 1935, through Law Decree 8124, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Peruvian medical researcher Daniel Alcides Carrión. Created as the Ministry of Public Health, Works and Social Precaution (Spanish: Ministerio de Salud Pública, Trabajo y Previsión Social), it incorporated the Directorate of Public Health, and the sectors of Work, Social Precaution, and Indian Affairs, all belonging to the Ministry of Development and Public Works. It additionally assumed the functions of the Department of Philanthropy, which at the time belonged to the Ministry of Justice. The first Minister of Health was Armando Montes de Peralta. In 1942, the ministry changed its name to the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (Spanish: Ministerio de Salud Pública, Trabajo y Previsión Social). This name remained until 1968, when it adopted its current name. In 2003, it incorporated the Medicinal Botanical Garden of Lima, created in 1991, into its National Institute of Health. From 2020 onwards, the ministry oversaw a large part of the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. Organisation Vice Ministry of Public Health Directorate-General of Public Health Policies and Regulations Directorate-General of Strategic Interventions in Public Health: Directorate of Mental Health Directorate-General of Health Promotion and Territorial Management Directorate-General of Environmental Health and Food Safety Directorate-General of Disaster Risk Management and National Health Defense National Centre for Epidemiology, Disease Prevention, and Control (CDC) National School of Public Health Metropolitan Lima Health Directorate (DIRIS) Vice Ministry of Health Benefits and Insurance Directorate-General of Health Benefits Directorate-General of Health Insurance Directorate-General of Infrastructure, Equipment, and Maintenance Directorate-General of Human Resources Management and Development Directorate-General of Medicines, Supplies, and Drugs (DIGEMID) National Centre for the Supply of Strategic Health Resources General Secretariat General Administration Office General Resources Office Human Resources General Office of Information Technology General Office of Communications General Office of Transparency and Document Processing General Office of Planning, Budget, and Modernisation General Office of Coordination and Coordination General Office of Legal Counsel General Office of Cooperation and International Affairs Public Organisations and Programmes Institute for Health Services Management National Health Investment Programme National Health Council Entities administered by the ministry include: National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases (INEN) National Institute of Health (INS) National Institute of Child Health (INSN) National Superintendency of Health (SUSALUD) Comprehensive Health Insurance (SIS) Intangible Solidarity Health Fund (FISSAL) National Health Investment Programme (PRONIS) Program for the Creation of Integrated Health Networks (PCRIS) List of ministers See also Healthcare in Peru List of hospitals in Peru References