Wanda Jaskiewicz, of the IntraHealth International-led CapacityPlus global project, participated in a May 4–6 meeting in El Salvador, “Human Resources for Health Plans and Primary Health Care: The Challenges of Inter-Sectoral and Social Coordination.” The gathering was organized by the Pan American Health Organization and the Global Health Workforce Alliance in collaboration with the ministries of health of El Salvador and Brazil.

Eight countries from Central and South America participated through representatives from ministries of health, education, civil service, labor, and finance as well as from Parliament, professional associations, and civil society organizations. For most of the countries it was the first time that the respective sectors had interacted with each other.

Given the significant need for human resources for health systems strengthening in the region, the participants committed to dialogue, coordination, and planning via the meeting’s resulting “San Salvador Commitment” Declaration. This document states the countries’ commitment to health rights and the protection of social systems, under the principles of solidarity, mutual support, and cooperation. Ministry of Health representatives from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Peru expressed interest in CapacityPlus focus areas, and their HRH situational analyses demonstrate the need for strengthening HRH systems.