As Conferências Nacionais de Saúde na construção do SUS (1967-1988)

Abstract

This work constitutes a research study on public health based on the analysis of the reports from the National Health Conferences, starting from the fourth conference held in 1967 and spanning various developmental stages of health policies in Brazil within the context of the civil-military dictatorship, up to the eleventh conference in the 2000s. The analysis delves into the historical events of social movements, illustrating the evolution of political debates on the subject. The project also highlights conflicts within the medical community, including the interests of the medical-business sector and the challenges posed by residents amidst popular struggles for health and democracy. Residents who formed the university base played a significant role in the struggles for political changes in the country, engaging in clashes with privileged health groups and the dictatorship. Psychiatric reform emerged as a topic raised and discussed within the health movements, along with advancements in epidemiological issues and maternal and child health. Amidst the various struggles for incremental improvements in health in Brazil, the implementation of health services models in the 70s and 80s, such as the PIASS model, proved fundamental for inspiring the foundations of the Unified Health System (SUS). The experiences gained from these "pilot projects" were crucial for the progressive consolidation of the SUS project. The 8th National Health Conference, strongly influenced by the Sanitary Movement, served as the catalyst for these debates, models, and guidelines, applying pressure and leading to definitive confrontations during the civil-military dictatorship, ultimately reflected in the Federal Constitution of 1988.