During the 2024–2025 biennium, PAHO played a key role in the implementation of the Social Determinants of Health Strategy in Costa Rica through a territorial approach led by the Ministry of Health and the Costa Rican Social Security Fund, with particular emphasis on the Brunca region.

PAHO coordinated and provided technical support to an intersectoral process that brought together local authorities, community leaders, and the Office of the Ombudsperson, promoting local empowerment and community participation as central pillars of sustainability. The experience made it possible to implement actions to address the social determinants of health from a primary health care (PHC) perspective, strengthening articulation between the local and national levels and addressing gaps linked to socioeconomic, territorial, and ethnic conditions.

This achievement helped create a more enabling environment for health equity, reinforcing local capacities for planning, governance, and intersectoral action, and laying replicable foundations for expansion to other regions of the country. By addressing structural determinants, the initiative contributes to sustained improvements in health outcomes, particularly for populations in vulnerable situations, and positions Costa Rica as a regional benchmark for the integration of social determinants of health into PHC policy and practice.
 

Photo caption: Workshop in the Brunca region for the Special Initiative on the Social Determinants of Health

Credit: PAHO