María Teresa Uriarte

Peruvian social reformer who pioneered public health initiatives and women's rights in Andean communities during the 1940s-60s

María Teresa Uriarte (1920-2003) revolutionized healthcare access in Peru's Andean highlands through her grassroots organization Comités de Salud Indígena, established in 1948. A trained nurse and anthropologist, she combined medical training with cultural sensitivity to create the first mobile health clinics reaching remote Quechua communities. Her UN report (1955) documented infant mortality reductions from 40% to 12% in her service areas within a decade.

Uriarte's 1952 Manual de Salud para las Andes became the standard health guide for indigenous populations, written in both Spanish and Quechua. She trained over 300 community health workers using participatory methods still used today. Her advocacy led to Peru's 1956 law mandating bilingual health education in rural areas. Peruvian National Library archives show her correspondence with UNICEF shaping global rural healthcare policies.

She co-founded the Mujeres por la Salud network in 1960, which trained 2,000 women as midwives and health promoters. A 2019 documentary by PBS highlighted her work as a precursor to modern community health workers systems. Her legacy is preserved in the María Teresa Uriarte Health Museum in Cusco, showcasing her innovative tools like portable birthing kits and herbal medicine guides.