A geografia dos serviços de saúde em Maceió: abrangência e limitações

Abstract

The study investigated the distribution and organization of health services in Maceió, focusing on Primary Health Care (PHC), and aimed to evaluate the coverage and limitations of these services, analyzing how urban space influenced the population's access to health care. The research provided a historical and contextual review of the formation of the city of Maceió and the development of the Health Care Network (RAS), highlighting the evolution of services and the geographical influences that determined their distribution. Adopting a geographical approach, the study examined the impact of the city's unplanned growth on the provision of health services, particularly in peripheral areas where disparities were more pronounced. Additionally, the research traced the historical process of health geography, covering early Hippocratic conceptions to modern formulations like Maximilien Sorre's pathogenic complex concept, which links environmental conditions to human health. Socioeconomic conditions and public policies that affected equitable access to health care in Maceió were also analyzed. The results revealed significant challenges, such as insufficient infrastructure, a lack of specialized professionals, and difficulty in accessing services in more remote regions. It was concluded that there was an urgent need for more integrated policies and targeted investments to strengthen the RAS, improve PHC coverage, and ensure that the entire population of Maceió had equal access to health services.