Education & Health

With an eye to bridge the divide between socioeconomic development and education, the Peruvian government has allocated a 30% increase to the education sector in the 2012 budget and has announced plans to build 400 new schools and hire 12,000 teachers. Enrolment levels in higher education institutions continue to grow, with 103 public and private universities currently operating in the country and a number of technical and vocational institutions also offering professional certifications. Meanwhile, the government is instituting a new plan that will bring universal health insurance by 2013. With 30% of the population lacking health insurance, this will be a challenge and require major public investment. Additionally, clearer regulations and guidelines in the health care sector will promote the expansion of higher-quality care and medications.