Throughout my professional career, I have understood that closing social, gender, and health access gaps requires not only research and effective interventions, but also decisive political action. I am convinced that political advocacy is key to ensuring that these initiatives are sustainable, scalable, and generate a significant and lasting impact on everyone's lives.
In April 2024, I took on the challenge of leading the Secretariat of Political Advocacy in Medicine and Public Health of the Peruvian Medical Association. From that position, I have learned a great deal and worked on the foundations of a secretariat dedicated to positively influencing the country's health policies in an adverse social and political context. In this Secretariat, I carry out the following activities:
Coordinate with all the political advocacy secretariats of each of the country's regions
Disseminating five fundamental pillars that guide advocacy actions, based on scientific evidence, a medical perspective, legal and political analysis, and communication strategies. Through these pillars, we carry out advocacy actions at the national level, such as political statements in defense of the population's health, rejection of actions that violate human rights, and media campaigns that seek to highlight relevant public health issues.
Creation of committees and working groups
Leading the Public Health Committee and promoting the Quality and Safety of Care Committee, the Environmental Health Committee, the Medicine, Health and Society Observatory, and the Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine Committee, as well as working groups focused on access to medicines and improvements in emergency services.
Promotion of Bills
In 2025 and 2026, we will promote five bills related to Excellence in Medical Education in the country, the Law to Strengthen Diagnostic Services, and laws related to improving the quality of medical care, traditional medicine, and advance directives, always with technical and strategic advice.
Technical opinions and advocacy actions
We continually issue technical opinions on bills submitted by Congress. As of April 2025, my office has issued opinions on 227 legislative initiatives submitted by Congress.
Additionally, I have worked to raise awareness and combat gender-based violence, participating in various marches such as the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and against child abuse. These problems require not only social awareness, but also strong public policies that protect women and children and promote their well-being.
A collective achievement of which I am proud was achieving, together with the LGBTQ+ community, the elimination of transgenderism as a mental health issue in the Ministry of Health regulations. This is an important step toward recognizing the rights of trans people, making clear my commitment to equity and dignity for all people, regardless of their gender identity.
From my role as a physician and researcher, I have also understood that closing health gaps requires integrating scientific knowledge with policy design. Therefore, I have promoted initiatives such as the Community Health Worker Law, which seeks to formalize and strengthen the role of these essential actors in vulnerable communities.
I deeply believe in the power of political advocacy to transform realities. This commitment guides me to always seek solutions that not only address immediate needs but also build a more equitable and just future for all. Science, when combined with politics, becomes a powerful tool to change lives.
