September 12, 2003 - Lima, Peru Dr. Alvaro Vidal Rivadeneyra, Peru's Minister of Health, inaugurated the virtual health course entitled, "Specialization Diploma in Technological Health Resources Management - GeTS" offered by the Science and Engineering Faculty of the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP). This presentation was held before an international virtual audience connected by videoconference in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. In addition to the international connections, national coverage of the course was made possible in Ecuador and Peru. In Ecuador, a national connection was established with eighteen cities throughout the country and in Peru coverage was extended to the north and south of the country through connections with the cities of Lambayeque and Arequipa respectively.

In his address, Minister Vidal Rivadeneyra stressed the importance of training and learning programs in health resource management and thanked the collaborative effort that made this course possible. The head table, presided by Minister Vidal Rivadeneyra, also counted with the presence of following authorities: Dr. Eliseo Velasquez - Representative of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in Peru, Mr. Eduardo Ismodes - Dean of the Faculty for Science and Engineering for PUCP, Dr. Milagros Montenegro - Director of GDLN Peru (PUCP), and Mr. Luis Vilcahuaman - Coordinator for the GeTS Specialization Diploma, who welcomed the national and international participants.

Following the inauguration, Mr. Luis Vilcahuaman formally presented the Specialization Diploma to the audience. The Diploma was designed and is being offered in a virtual learning mode combining videoconferencing and e-learning with the participation of recognized health specialists.

The course was developed with the GDLN-LAC seed fund for content development, the sponsorship of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE - Peru Chapter), and the Peruvian School of Engineers (CIP). A GeTS course website has been developed to facilitate the distribution and accessibility to course materials by participants in different parts of the world.

The first session of the course was offered by Dr. Luis Lara Estrella, Director of the Health Technology Management Unit of the Research and Investigation Foundation (FUNINDES) of Venezuela's Simon Bolivar University gave the first course presentation in which he addressed the topic of, "Waste Resource Management in Health Technologies: Causes and Effects". The session dynamic included a round of questions in which the participants in each of the countries had the opportunity to present their comments and questions directly to Dr. Lara who responded to each of the issues raised by the participants.

The GeTS course delivery is being made possible thanks to the coordination with World Bank Health Reform Projects, Ministries of Health, and local hospitals. The upcoming GeTS course videoconferences are scheduled to take place on 11/14/2003, 12/18/2003, and 2/6/2004 and course participants will have continuous on-line sessions.

For additional information regarding the GeTS course, please contact Dr. Milagros Montenegro at the following e-mail address: mmonten@pucp.edu.pe. To learn about future GDLN activities in health related topics, please contact Carmen Carpio at the following e-mail address: ccarpio@worldbank.org