O controle social nas Conferências Nacionais de Saúde: concepções, avanços e limites

Abstract

This dissertation has as object of research the characterization of the proposals and conceptions of social control at the National Health Conferences (from 8th to 12nd NCH). It is assumed that these conferences are mechanisms of social control legally founded by law no. 8.142/90 to evaluate the healthcare policy and to propose guidelines for it. Aiming for the comprehension of the referred object, it was necessary to qualify social control on health, introducing the conceptions of authors that deal with this theme in the contemporaneity. Then it was performed a contextualization of the National Health Conferences, since the first one, in 1941, until the 7th Conference, in 1980, since all Conferences approached in this work have influenced the directions of the actions of the State on the healthcare field. We used the bibliographic and documental research to subsidize the analysis of the propositions about social control, discussed on the Conferences. In the bibliographic research we have consulted books, articles, monographs, dissertations and theses about the studied thematic. The Conferences Final Reports were fundamental to the documental research. The social participation linked to the meaning of social control by the organized sectors of civil society over the actions of the State has been delineated since 8th CNS, a period of redemocratization in the Country, because until that time the control of the dictatorial regime was carried on by the State over society, by repressive instruments against any political expression by the people on their historical struggle for rights. In this context, on the healthcare field, it becomes clear the relevance of the Sanitary Reform Movement, because it was characterized by the contestation and criticism to the present health model, claiming healthcare as a universal right and State duty. The propositions of this Movement were methodized on the 8th CNS, whose central theme, “Democracy is Health”, surrounded the discussions to formulate the Unique Healthcare System (Sistema Único de Saúde – SUS), which later on was regulated on the Constitution of 1988. However, there is a paradox between the constitutional text and reality, inasmuch as health is being sold to private companies in order to attend capital concerns, due to the neoliberal project notwithstanding a policy of universal and public health. The studied National Health Conferences have defended and reaffirmed SUS and its principles. Therefore, it is clear the importance of these Conferences since their thematic cores distinguish propositions of social control as a path to the defense of a universal, collaborative, public and qualified health policy, faced to the adversities in each conjuncture.