OBJECTIVES: South America (SA) is a continent with 400 million people and occupies 12% of the world’s territory. It is composed by 12 countries and 6,75% of its population is below the poverty line, as defined by UN. The proper distribution of financial health resources, through an HTA process in public systems is potentially essential to improve the quality of health care expenditure. The objective of this study is to understand the incorporation process of new health technologies and compare the general health status in each country, regarding the Objectives of the Millennium (OM). METHODS: A public data collection was performed in official sources linked to UN, to governments of SA and the Unión de las Naciones Suramericana (UNASUR). RESULTS: The public health financing in SA countries was between 2.43% and 6.20% of the GDP. An HTA process in an institutionalized and specialized form is in place in only 3 countries (Argentina, Brazil and Peru). Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Venezuela do not have a specialized HTA process and the other four countries have no HTA process at all. Regarding the OM the decrease in child mortality, increase in vaccination, increase in malaria and tuberculosis treatments are among the closest to be achieved in all countries. There is a linear positive correlation of OM with the Human Development Index and with the percentage of GDP invested in public health but not with having a HTA process in place. CONCLUSION: At this moment, there is no evidence that an HTA process in place helps SA countries to achieve the OM.