El Salvador and Ecuador are promoting a project to support carers

The aim is to support people who act as carers for those in need of care, whether they are family members or healthcare professionals.

Caring for vulnerable groups proved to be a major challenge during the pandemic, particularly regarding the physical and mental health of older people. However, carers themselves also need support, given the very nature of their work and the context in which care is provided. In many cases, for example, they face demanding working conditions: long hours, low pay, staff shortages, chronic exhaustion and, in some cases, precarious working conditions.

For these reasons, there is an urgent need to strengthen the design of public policies and programmes that protect and support carers. Within this framework, El Salvador and Ecuador have identified an opportunity for cooperation under the Bilateral Social Security Agreement to exchange knowledge and experiences aimed at improving gerontological care and the well-being of both older people and their carers. On the part of El Salvador (provider role), the Ministry of Health is participating through the Unit for Comprehensive Health Care for Older Adults, and on the part of Ecuador (recipient role), the Ministry of Human Development.

It is therefore proposed to launch a continuing professional development course in gerontological care, delivered via a digital platform aimed at professionals and carers working in centres and services for older adults. The programme covers residential care, day care, socialisation facilities and home care, in coordination with Ecuador’s Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion (MIES, by its acronym in Spanish) and the Salvadoran Institute for Comprehensive Rehabilitation (ISRI, by its acronym in Spanish).

To achieve this objective, the technical teams are working on the design of a curriculum that incorporates the training content in line with the main requirements and specific characteristics of the Ecuadorian context.

This involves the exchange of knowledge and skills among specialist professionals, the development of materials (videos, manuals, etc.) and support for the implementation and evaluation of activities. Around 130 members of the technical staff working in gerontological care services — as well as staff members’ relatives and carers — would benefit directly from this initiative, and a manual on the prevention of carer syndrome would be produced, alongside a potential reduction in preventable incidents involving older adults in the home.

April 2026

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Source: SEGIB, through the El Salvador Agency for International Cooperation (ESCO).

Photos: Dominik Lange in Unsplash