Uruguay and Brazil reboot cross-border healthcare to serve rural communities: Video
Uruguay and Brazil have announced the reinstatement of the Binational Border Advisory Commission, a renewed effort to improve healthcare coordination across their shared border.
The initiative aims to ensure that local communities, particularly in remote areas, have access to essential medical services and emergency care regardless of national boundaries.
At the heart of the plan is the Cerrillada polyclinic in Ribera, Uruguay, a facility serving rural populations near the border.
Officials say the commission will formalise cooperation between the two national health systems, allowing citizens to receive medical treatment in either country when services are not available locally. Dr Ernesto Pacini, Deputy of the Departmental Directorate of Rivera, explained to Viory the model: “From the Uruguayan side we will come twice a month. The first week it is us, the RAP, which is the primary care network with a vaccinator, graduate nurse, nurse and doctor. The following week the Brazilian team comes.”
The programme also facilitates the cross-border provision of medicines, ensuring that essential treatments reach patients on both sides. Dr Pacini added: “The Brazilian health service comes with the medication and it will also be provided, if necessary, to a Uruguayan user.” This approach aims to optimise resources and avoid duplication, creating a seamless system of care that leverages existing infrastructure in both countries.
By alternating healthcare teams and sharing medical resources, Uruguay and Brazil hope to create a model of border health cooperation that could inspire other regions worldwide. Beyond addressing immediate healthcare needs, the initiative underscores how international collaboration can overcome geographical and bureaucratic barriers, offering a blueprint for equitable access to medical services in border regions globally.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
