Health Care in Brazil Implications for Public Health and Epidemiology

A network of family-based community-oriented primary health programs, or Programa Agentes Communitarios de Saude, and family health programs, or Programa Sat.lde da Familia, introduced almost 2 decades ago were the Brazilian government's health care models to restructure primary care under the Unified Health System, or Sistema Unico de Saude. The latter offers comprehensive coverage to all, although it is used by those of lower income, and despite achievement in the last quarter century, access to health services and gradients of health status continue to persist along income, educational background, racial, and religious lines.