MSH Peru: A Decade of Partnership, Innovation, and Impact

For more than three decades, Management Sciences for Health has worked alongside Peruvian institutions and communities to strengthen health systems, expand access to care, and improve health outcomes. By 2014, it became clear that achieving lasting impact would require something more: a locally rooted organization capable of addressing not only health services, but also the broader social and economic factors that shape people’s wellbeing.

That vision led to the creation of MSH Peru, a Peruvian organization affiliated with MSH and dedicated to improving health and social well-being among populations living in poverty and vulnerability. From the beginning, MSH Peru was designed to work across sectors—partnering with government, communities, civil society, the private sector, and international cooperation partners to address challenges ranging from health promotion and disease prevention, water and sanitation to healthy aging, disability inclusion, and community development.

Over the past decade, MSH Peru has evolved into a trusted national partner, reaching more than 1.1 million people, 88,000 families, 2,115 communities, and 1,160 local governments across Peru.

Through its work, communities have improved access to health services, healthier environments, water and sanitation, eye health services, leadership strengthening, and other interventions that contribute to better health and quality of life.

Today, MSH Peru is increasingly recognized for its role in helping government and partners translate social inclusion policies into practical solutions that improve daily life for vulnerable populations.

Delivering Results at Scale

One of the clearest examples is the program, “Qué Bien Te Veo Perú“, a national initiative designed to address presbyopia—a common age-related condition that impairs near vision and can limit independence, productivity, and quality of life. Working alongside the Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion (MIDIS) and its social protection programs—including Pensión 65, CONTIGO, PAIS, and the Complementary Food Program—as well as municipalities, private-sector partners, and philanthropic organizations, MSH Peru has built one of the country’s largest eye health initiatives focused on adults over age 40, older adults, and populations living in extreme poverty and vulnerability.

The program combines community outreach, vision screening, logistics management, training, monitoring, and large-scale distribution of reading glasses through existing government platforms.

As of March 2026, the initiative had helped more than 550,000 Peruvians improve their near vision through vision screening and the provision of reading glasses. A significant proportion of beneficiaries were participants in the Pensión 65 social assistance program. Implemented across all 24 regions of Peru, the program has mobilized support from 1,336 municipalities and delivered services through more than 2,500 community campaigns, demonstrating the power of combining national social protection programs with local implementation.

The impact extends beyond eye health. An independent evaluation of Pensión 65 participants aged 65 and older living in conditions of extreme poverty and vulnerability found that 39% reported greater autonomy, 36% reported improved productivity, and 25% reported better eye health, demonstrating how a relatively simple intervention can significantly improve daily life, social participation, and economic wellbeing.

In recognition of this innovative model, the initiative received Peru’s 2024 Good Practices in Public Management Award in the Public-Private Partnership category. The award recognized the program’s ability to bring together government social programs, municipal networks, private philanthropy, and civil society partners to deliver services at scale and improve lives across the country.

This achievement was made possible through the commitment of our strategic partner Pensión 65, as well as private-sector partners including Restoring Vision and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

A Trusted Government Partner for Healthy Aging and Social Inclusion

A defining milestone came in May 2026, when Peru’s MIDIS publicly reaffirmed and strengthened its partnership with MSH Peru, recognizing the organization’s growing contribution to healthy aging and social inclusion.

“The Ministry recognizes MSH Peru as a strategic partner of great value in advancing our goals. Visual health is not an isolated issue, but an integral part of our users’ well-being. Ensuring access to good vision contributes directly to autonomy, quality of life, and full development.”

— Lily Vásquez, Minister of Development and Social Inclusion, Peru.

The announcement builds on years of collaboration through national social protection programs and reflects growing government confidence in MSH Peru’s ability to help design, implement, and scale solutions that improve the lives of vulnerable populations.

Today, MSH Peru’s work extends beyond eye health. Building on its success in vision care, the organization is expanding its focus on healthy aging and disability inclusion, working with government partners to improve access to priority assistive technologies and services that promote independence, dignity, and social participation for older adults and people with disabilities.

“For us, success is not measured simply by the number of services delivered, but by whether people are able to live healthier, more independent lives. Over the past decade, we have learned that lasting impact happens when government, communities, and partners work together around solutions that people can own and sustain. That is the model we will continue to strengthen across Peru.”— Dr. Edgar Medina Figueroa, Executive Director, MSH Peru.

Looking Ahead

As Peru faces the opportunities and challenges of an aging population, MSH Peru continues to build on its foundation of partnership, innovation, and local leadership. What began as an effort to address the broader determinants of health has evolved into a platform for advancing health, inclusion, and well-being for some of Peru’s most vulnerable populations.

Today, MSH Peru reflects how sustained partnerships among government, communities, and diverse partners can be translated into practical solutions that improve the quality of life of people living in poverty and vulnerability.

“MSH Peru demonstrates what becomes possible when long-term partnership evolves into local leadership. Over the past decade, it has grown into a trusted institution working shoulder to shoulder with government, communities, and partners to address the factors that shape health and wellbeing. As countries increasingly seek partners who can help turn national priorities into sustainable results, MSH Peru offers a compelling example of the role MSH can play in the years ahead.“

— Marian W. Wentworth, President and CEO, MSH