PUBLIC POLICIES AND SOCIAL CONTROL IN HEALTH IN BRAZIL IN 2025: CHALLENGES, INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCES, AND DIALOGUE WITH THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Abstract

Social control is one of the foundational pillars of Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS), consolidating itself as a democratic mechanism for citizen participation in the formulation, monitoring, and evaluation of public health policies. In 2025, Brazil faces a scenario marked by structural, financial, and institutional challenges, while also experiencing normative, technological, and participatory advances capable of strengthening democratic health governance. This article aims to analyze the role of social control in public health policies in contemporary Brazil, examining its legal foundations, institutionalization through health councils and conferences, and its articulation with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A qualitative, descriptive-analytical methodology was adopted, based on bibliographic and documentary research, focusing on constitutional and infra- constitutional norms, official documents from the Ministry of Health and the National Health Council, and UN reports. The study concludes that social control remains central to SUS governance and represents a strategic instrument for fulfilling Brazil’s international commitments under the 2030 Agenda.