Direito à saúde e austeridade fiscal: o caso brasileiro em perspectiva internacional / The Right to healthcare and fiscal austerity: the Brazilian case from an international perspective

Resumo O artigo analisa implicações da política de austeridade no Brasil sobre a garantia do direito social universal, com foco no financiamento do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e no direito à saúde. Os efeitos da política de austeridade brasileira são analisados em perspectiva internacional, com base em evidências produzidas em diferentes contextos, identificadas por revisão da literatura, a fim de embasar os argumentos desenvolvidos no artigo. São apresentadas informações sobre as medidas de austeridade fiscal que vêm sendo implantadas no Brasil e analisados seus prováveis impactos para a proteção social no país em um contexto de significativa recessão econômica. Essas medidas vêm demonstrando que a austeridade adotada no Brasil não é universal, pois não atinge toda a sociedade brasileira igualmente, e tampouco tem efeitos temporários, pois não está focada na redução do desequilíbrio momentâneo nas contas públicas. Seu objetivo precípuo é o de promover a redução do tamanho do Estado brasileiro. Por fim, são mostrados caminhos alternativos à política de austeridade fiscal empregada para a crise econômica. As autoras argumentam por um projeto de nação cujo desenvolvimento esteja atrelado à proteção social para o universo dos cidadãos e fundado em valores de solidariedade.

Abstract The article analyzes the implications of the austerity policy in Brazil on the guarantee of universal social rights, focusing on the financing of the Unified Health System (SUS) and the right to health. The effects of the Brazilian austerity policy are analyzed in an international perspective, based on evidence produced in different contexts, identified from a literature review, in order to base the arguments developed in the article. Information on the fiscal austerity measures being implemented in Brazil is presented and its likely impacts on social protection in the country are analyzed in a context of significant economic recession. The austerity policy adopted in Brazil is not universal, since it does not affect all Brazilian society equally, nor does it have temporary effects, since it is not focused on reducing the momentary imbalance in public accounts. Its main objective is to promote the reduction of the size of the Brazilian State. Finally, we show alternative paths to the fiscal austerity policy that has been used to tackle the economic crisis. The authors argue by a national development project that is necessarily linked to social protection for the universe of citizens and based on values of solidarity.

Caesarean birth rates in public and privately funded hospitals: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To examine maternal and obstetric factors influencing births by cesarean section according to health care funding. METHODS A cross-sectional study with data from Southeastern Brazil. Caesarean section births from February 2011 to July 2012 were included. Data were obtained from interviews with women whose care was publicly or privately funded, and from their obstetric and neonatal records. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to generate crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for caesarean section births. RESULTS The overall caesarean section rate was 53% among 9,828 women for whom data were available, with the highest rates among women whose maternity care was privately funded. Reasons for performing a c-section were infrequently documented in women's maternity records. The variables that increased the likelihood of c-section regardless of health care funding were the following: paid employment, previous c-section, primiparity, antenatal and labor complications. Older maternal age, university education, and higher socioeconomic status were only associated with c-section in the public system. CONCLUSIONS Higher maternal socioeconomic status was associated with greater likelihood of a caesarean section birth in publicly funded settings, but not in the private sector, where funding source alone determined the mode of birth rather than maternal or obstetric characteristics. Maternal socioeconomic status and private healthcare funding continue to drive high rates of caesarean section births in Brazil, with women who have a higher socioeconomic status more likely to have a caesarean section birth in all birth settings.

Proteção social em saúde: um balanço dos 20 anos do SUS / Health Care Security: 20 years of the Unified Health System

A instituição do Sistema Único de Saúde pela Constituição brasileira de 1988, baseado na diretriz de universalidade e inserido em uma lógica abrangente de Seguridade Social, representou uma inflexão importante na trajetória histórica da proteção social em saúde no país. O artigo parte de um debate conceitual sobre proteção social em saúde e da discussão sobre a trajetória e as principais características histórico-estruturais do sistema de proteção social brasileiro conformado até os anos 1980, com ênfase nas suas expressões na saúde. A seguir, procura fazer um balanço dos 20 anos do SUS, a partir da análise das mudanças e continuidades observadas em quatro dimensões selecionadas para a caracterização da proteção social em saúde no caso brasileiro: organização institucional; financiamento; mix público-privado e modelo de atenção em saúde. Por fim, discutem-se as principais dificuldades e os desafios atuais relacionados à expansão da proteção social em saúde no Brasil.

The creation of the Unified Health System by the 1988 Brazilian Constitution, based on the principle of universality and within a wide approach of Social Security, was an important alteration in the history of health care protection in Brazil. This paper presents a conceptual debate on health care protection and discusses the trajectory and main historical-structural characteristics of the Brazilian health care security up to the 1980's, emphasizing its health expressions. Then it analyzes the 20 years of the SUS, based on the analysis of changes and follow-ups in four dimensions selected to feature health care protection in Brazil: institutional organization; financing; public-private mix and health care model. Finally, it discusses the main difficulties and current challenges concerning the expansion of health care security in Brazil.

Desigualdades y servicios de salud / Inequalities and health services

Los objetivos de este trabajo son tres: en primer lugar, se revisan las causas de las desigualdades sociales en salud incluyendo el papel que juegan los servicios sanitarios en las mismas; posteriormente se analiza la influencia de la financiación y la organización de los servicios sanitarios en las desigualdades y finalmente, se muestra un ejemplo de las desigualdades en la utilización de los servicios sanitarios en Cataluña, comunidad autónoma del Estado Español donde existe un Sistema Nacional de Salud. Se analizan las siguientes causas de las desigualdades en salud: los estilos de vida o conductas relacionadas con la salud, los servicios sanitarios, los factores materiales o estructurales, las desigualdades de renta y los factores políticos. Los servicios sanitarios no son los determinantes principales de la salud ni de las desigualdades en salud. Pero la existencia de servicios sanitarios adecuados es una necesidad fundamental y el acceso a los mismos debería ser un derecho de todas las personas sin distinciones sociales. Tanto la calidad como la cobertura de los servicios sanitarios son una parte integral de la definición del desarrollo en sí mismo y constituyen unos de los principales indicadores de bienestar social. Finalmente, se muestra un ejemplo sobre las desigualdades según clase social en la utilización de servicios sanitarios en Cataluña en 1994 y en 2002, desigualdades que son prácticamente inexistentes en el caso de los servicios sanitarios curativos, pero que se mantienen en los servicios preventivos.

The objectives of this paper are three: first to review the causes of inequalities in health and the role played by health services; second, to analyze the influence of health care financing and the organization of health services on inequalities in health and to show an example of the study of inequalities in health services utilization in Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain where a National Health System exists. The following causes of health inequalities are analyzed: life styles or health behaviors, health services, material or structural factors, income inequalities and political factors. Health services are not the main determinants of health or of health inequalities. But the existence of health services is a fundamental need for everyone and the access to them should be a right for all people independently of their social characteristics. Quality and coverage of health services is an important part of development and they constitute main indicators of social wellbeing. Finally, it is shown an example of social class inequalities in health services utilization in Catalonia in 1994 and 2002, inequalities that are non existent for curative services but that still remain for preventive services.