PRIMARY HEALTH CARE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROMOTION OF EQUITY IN THE SUS

Abstract

This research aimed to analyze the importance of Primary Health Care (PHC) in the promotion of equity in the Unified Health System (SUS), highlighting its contributions to the reduction of health inequalities and its role in universal access to care. To this end, a bibliographic research was carried out by surveying articles in the SciELO, PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The results indicated that PHC, through the Family Health Strategy (FHS), has been fundamental in promoting comprehensive and continuous care, especially in vulnerable areas, and is effective in disease prevention and health promotion. However, challenges such as underfunding, a shortage of skilled professionals, and a lack of infrastructure jeopardize its full implementation, especially in poorer regions. The research concludes that, although PHC has enormous potential to reduce health inequalities and improve access to services, greater investment and improved management is needed to ensure its effectiveness and universality, in addition to the importance of the qualification of professionals and the active participation of the community in health management.