Intercultural health and ethnic peoples (SISPI)

System and programme

The SISPI is Indigenous peoples' own health system: it joins their ancestral knowledge with the general system, respecting their culture and autonomy.

Updated Nov 13, 2026

Key points

Decree 1953 of 2014, title IV: defines the SISPI, with principles of accessibility, therapeutic complementarity, reciprocity and interculturality.
Own health: harmony and balance according to each people's worldview, in the person's relationship with self, family, community and territory.
Five components: ancestral knowledge; political-organisational; training, capacity building and use of knowledge; own and intercultural health care; administration and management.
While the SISPI is being implemented, the SGSSS guarantees care for Indigenous peoples; licensed Indigenous providers (IPS indígenas) are funded from capitation (UPC) resources.
Prior consultation: ILO Convention 169 (approved by Law 21 of 1991) requires consulting peoples in good faith, through their representative institutions, on legislative or administrative measures that directly affect them.
The ethnic differential approach also covers Black, Afro-Colombian, Raizal, Palenquero and Rrom peoples, who take part in building the ASIS.

What it is

The Indigenous Own and Intercultural Health System (SISPI) is the set of policies, rules, principles, resources, institutions and procedures rooted in Indigenous peoples' collective view of life, with ancestral knowledge as its guide. Decree 1953 of 2014 defined it; it is articulated, coordinated and complemented with the SGSSS under the stewardship of the Ministry of Health, and is rolled out gradually in each Indigenous territory. Interculturality, which Law 1438 of 2011 lists among the principles of PHC, asks services to recognise and engage with each people's practices.

How it is organised

Ancestral knowledge: own and spiritual knowledge handed down by spiritual authorities across generations.
Political-organisational: self-government structures that make health decisions.
Training and knowledge: research, generation and use of own and intercultural knowledge.
Own and intercultural health care: actions with people, families, community and territory to promote, prevent, cure and rehabilitate.
Administration and management: information, resources and workforce for the system to run.

Worked example

A made-up Indigenous reserve has 120 children under 5; 66 are fully vaccinated: 66 / 120 = 55%.
The health team meets the traditional authorities and they agree a date, the community house as venue and an interpreter.
A community knowledge-keeper joins the day and explains vaccination in the people's own language.
After two vaccination days, 102 children are fully vaccinated: 102 / 120 = 85%.
Reading: coverage rose by 30 percentage points (from 55% to 85%); the change came from agreeing with the community.

Concepts that get mixed up

Concept	What it is	Legal basis
SISPI	Indigenous peoples' own and intercultural health system	Decree 1953 of 2014
Interculturality	Recognition of and dialogue between knowledge systems in care	Law 1438 of 2011 (PHC principle)
Differential approach	Adapting actions to groups with their own needs	Law 1438 of 2011 (PHC principle)
Prior consultation	Collective right to be consulted on measures that directly affect the people	Law 21 of 1991 (ILO Convention 169)

Markers

SISPI
Indigenous providers
ILO Convention 169
Prior consultation
Differential approach

In practice

Asking respectfully about the patient's and family's traditional practices helps agree a plan the community accepts.
An interpreter and support from community authorities or knowledge-keepers may be needed, for example in childbirth care or vaccination days.
Recording ethnic identity in health records makes it possible to measure gaps in the ASIS.

Reference norms

Decree 1953 of 2014: special regime for Indigenous territories; its title IV (articles 74 onwards) governs the SISPI.
Law 21 of 1991: approves ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples; its article 6 sets out consultation.
Law 1438 of 2011, article 13: interculturality, including traditional practices, is a principle and element of PHC.

Test yourself

Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.

Which norm defined the Indigenous Own and Intercultural Health System?

Decree 1953 of 2014, in its title IV.

What are the five components of the SISPI?

Ancestral knowledge; political-organisational; training, capacity building and use of knowledge; own and intercultural health care; administration and management.

What happens to Indigenous peoples' care while the SISPI is being implemented?

The SGSSS keeps guaranteeing it; licensed Indigenous providers are funded from capitation (UPC) resources.

Where does the duty of prior consultation come from?

From ILO Convention 169, approved in Colombia by Law 21 of 1991, which requires consulting peoples on measures that directly affect them.

Add to my cards (4)

Elsewhere in DurgiPedia

Colombia's PAI schedule (which vaccines, at what age)

Connections

← All of epidemiology

Educational content on epidemiological and statistical methods; the examples use made-up numbers to teach the calculation. Not a clinical or legal guide: current Colombian rules are in the official sources.

Sources: Decreto 1953 de 2014 (Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública, Colombia (Gestor Normativo), 2014); Ley 21 de 1991 (Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública, Colombia (Gestor Normativo), 1991); Ley 1438 de 2011 (Departamento Administrativo de la Función Pública, Colombia (Gestor Normativo), 2011); Compilación Jurídica SuperSalud - Resolución 100 de 2024 MSPS (Superintendencia Nacional de Salud, Colombia, 2024).

Spotted a mistake?We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it.Report a mistake

Representative model, for educational purposes only.