Aracataca (Magdalena)., November 3, 2022. During the launch of the Preventive and Predictive Health Program, the representatives of the indigenous peoples had a voice to express their feelings with the inclusion of their ancestral knowledge in this new model. Likewise, patient organizations were invited to express what it means to have primary health care for thousands of patients.

Benerexa Márquez, an Arhuaca majority, maintained that the Preventive and Predictive Health Program is of great importance for rural and far-flung areas, which is precisely where the majority of indigenous peoples are concentrated.

"This is a challenging commitment to develop the health of indigenous peoples in Colombia, strengthening the ancient knowledge we have used to have health," said the elder in her intervention.

She added that in the Preventive and Predictive Health Program, we will seek to share and articulate ancient knowledge not only with indigenous peoples, but also with the rest of the public. "The program is very important for us, because we have already been working on it, but we do want to know closely how we are going to coordinate among ourselves," she completed.

In turn Francisco Castellanos, director of the Patient Defense Organization, and member of the promotion committee of the social and political summit for health reform, indicated that "We receive, with great hope, that from now on the health system will be geared towards the promotion, prevention and maintenance of people's health status."

Therefore, Castellanos brought up, as the popular adage says, prevention is better than cure, and that is precisely the premise of the Preventive and Predictive Health Program, as he recognized in his speech.

"We must take advantage of ancestral knowledge. We have been fighting for years against the health system so that users have timely access to treatments and services, and today with this Government we are taking a turn in the right direction to have a better state of health," Castellanos stressed.

He also specified that the right to health is finally seen as a state of well-being. "There is a lot to do, and the main thing is to satisfy those social determinants, and health must reach all the corners of the country as is already occurring in this Government."

In closing, the director thanked him for the Preventive and Predictive Health Program, with which he aspires to improve the health and well-being of the population.