Public Health System: Why Is It So Important In Countries Like Brazil?

Public health is the idea of “all public, private, and voluntary entities that contribute to the delivery of essential public health services” within a jurisdiction. These public health systems may include public health agencies at state and local levels, public safety agencies, human service and charity organizations and also environmental agencies. It guarantees that the community has access to specific health departments, like food safety inspections, fluoridated water, vaccine programs and many other programs.

There are some countries, like the USA, that have its health care system based in both private and public insurance, with government programs that were created to provide health assistance to people that were uninsured. Usually, the private insurances are really expensive and people who need specific care in an emergency can even get indebted.

In underdeveloped or emerging countries, like Brazil, this system is very important to guarantee the population’s well being at different levels. In Brazil, we have experienced a new way to provide health care, through an integrated system called SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde). When we talk about this public system, it’s not only about basic health care, but also expensive treatments, exams and some medications, as well as public services of sanitary regulation and water treatment. “Health is a right to everybody and an obligation of the government” is the statement of the organization. 

Therefore, some of the organization’s principles are decentralized policy, universality, equity, humanization, community participation in decision-making, good access and continuous care. Another important point is that all the expenses from SUS are financed through tax revenues and social contributions from the federal budgets. With programs financed by SUS, Brazil has experienced many changes in its morbidity and mortality profile, especially reducing child mortality, increasing the life expectancy and also, good results at the control programs related to HIV. These are many of the reasons why it is so important to maintain this kind of organization in the country and guarantee its quality to attend the community.

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The article above was edited by Carolina Rodrigues.

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