With a commemorative ceremony, the Proinapsa Institute celebrated its 40th anniversary, recognizing its sustained work in promoting health from a human and participatory approach, an initiative that began in the School of Nursing and grew to become a national and international benchmark.
The gathering was filled with the spirit of interdisciplinary work, university outreach, and social transformation that have characterized the institute’s work throughout its history.
“I feel that it is an interdisciplinary team effort led by our founder, Dr. Lucila Niño Bautista, a retired professor from the School of Nursing. She was the one who had the idea of making a proposal to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to finance primary health care. Proinapsa grew in the light of a comprehensive proposal for sustainable human development and community participation with a focus on health promotion that later emerged with the Ottawa Charter in 1986. What we have done is work at the local and regional levels, with Latin America, participating in different networks and universities, but above all, working hand in hand with people in their daily lives,” said Blanca Patricia Mantilla, director of the Proinapsa Institute.
During her speech, Professor Olga Mercedes Álvarez Ojeda, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, highlighted the vision of Lucila Niño Bautista, who founded the Institute in 1985 with the aim of transforming health care from within communities. She also praised the leadership of Professor Blanca Patricia Mantilla Uribe, who has directed Proinapsa for 28 years, promoting territorial coordination, academic management, and community strengthening.
She also recognized the perseverance and valuable work carried out with communities, an effort that was key to the development of public health policies and programs in Colombia and Latin America. During these four decades, the Institute has developed more than 360 outreach projects, has been present in 32 departments, has benefited 800,000 people, and has established itself as a space for practical training for more than 1,200 students.
“The UIS is proud to celebrate 40 years of the Proinapsa institute, which is an important part of its mission. Its outreach provides communities in greatest need with tools and services for healthcare and disease prevention. It is an example of interdisciplinarity that brings together professionals from all areas that contribute to healthcare,” said the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs.
For his part, the Dean of the Faculty of Health, Dr. Jürg Niederbacher Velásquez, highlighted Proinapsa’s unwavering commitment to education, health, and collective well-being.
In the remembrance presented by professors Blanca Patricia Mantilla and Nieves Zoraida Flórez, the Institute’s most significant milestones were evoked. “Today we celebrate an innovative and humane proposal that not only treated diseases but also promoted people’s well-being,” recalled Mantilla.
Within this narrative, it was especially highlighted that, in 2003, Proinapsa was designated as a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the promotion of sexual and reproductive health, a recognition that consolidated its leadership and international projection.
Omar González, a social work student and member of the team, commented, “My experience has been in the area of health, working with communities, individuals, and families. It has been rewarding to work with professionals from different areas.”
The event was attended by Professor Lucila Niño Bautista, founder of the Proinapsa Institute.
Congratulations, Proinapsa family! The Faculty of Health is proud of you.
