Five years of family health care in São José

Authors: A.M. Sant'Ana; W.W. Rosser; Y. Talbot

Source: Family Practice, Volume 19, Number 4, 1 August 2002 , pp. 410-415(6)

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Abstract:

In 1994, the Federal Government of Brazil enacted legislation to share the costs with municipalities of establishing or remodelling up to 20 000 health clinics, covering a population of 69 million people. São José clinic was established with family physicians in 1993 in a community of 3000 in the City of Curitiba. The clinic was functioning by 1995 when the Canadian four principles of Family Medicine were introduced to clinic staff. The impact of the clinic's work has measured improvements in perinatal mortality and child nutrition, reduced hepatitis A infection and produced dramatic improvements in delivery of preventive services. The presence of the clinic has empowered a poor community to demand improved municipal services that have helped to improve overall health. The introduction of Family Health Clinics in Brazil, and assistance provided by Canada, has achieved the objectives of the national Government in one sample site.

Keywords: Family medicine; general practice; international health; prevention; primary health care

Document Type: Original article

Affiliations: 1: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Publication date: 2002-08-01

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Family Practice is an international journal aimed at practitioners, teachers and researchers in the fields of family medicine, general practice and primary care in both developed and developing countries.