The National Institute of Health of Peru (Instituto Nacional de Salud - INS) is primarily responsible for the promotion, development, and dissemination of scientific research in all national public health issues.  Its mission is to control the spread of communicable diseases, improve and monitor Peru’s nutritional health, and improve its citizens’ occupational health.

INS has 720 staff members and is broken into seven departments: Office General for Research and Technology Transfer, Production of National Center for Biologics, National Center for Food and Nutrition, National Center for Public Health, National Intercultural Health, National Center for Occupational Health and Protection of the environment to health, and National Center for Quality Control. 

In 2008, INS completed the construction and implementation of modern laboratories in Lima and Iquitos. The labs meet the required standards for biosafety levels 2 and 3 for the diagnosis of outbreaks, epidemics, and non-communicable diseases. The institute also produced the first batch of lyophilised serum antibotrópico that counteracts the effects of the venom of Bothrop snake bites.  INS took a big step forward technologically, as well. It consolidated the Information System Laboratory NETLAB Results, and now can provide quicker assessments of patients living with HIV/AIDS.  Other recent accomplishments include:

• Institute assessment by ACLASS, meeting the requirements of international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005
• Technical study about working conditions of dockers in Cusco, Huancayo, and Lima, which promoted Law No. 29088 on Safety and Health at Work and Dockers Terrestres. Also, through D.S. No. 029-2007-RE, the Government ratified the Convention 127 of the International Labor Organization (OIT) on the maximum weight of cargo that can be transported by a worker.
• Implementation of genotyping tests for HIV, making INS the only public institution with the technical and operational capability to perform this test in the country
• Implementation of evidence for the rapid diagnosis of MDR TB to DISAS of Lima and Callao.
• Achievement of satisfactory levels of agreement for molecular diagnosis of influenza type A between the laboratory and the laboratory of the INS in Hong Kong
• Production of antiloxoscélicos antivenom used in the treatment of bites from snakes and spiders as well as rabies vaccine for human and veterinary use, contributing to the solution of problems of national public health
• Production of diagnostic reagents, diagnostic kits, culture media and laboratory animals for biomedical research, ensuring quality throughout the production line required by national and international standards in force
• Use of CD4 and viral load tests to monitor antiretroviral treatment in HIV/AIDS patients