STATE SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH: AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION AND STRENGTHENING OF THE UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM
public health schools; permanent health education; unified health system.
The State Schools of Public Health (SSPH) are responsible for formulating and/or executing programs and politics aimed at qualifying health workers. Therefore, they play an important role in the implementation and strengthening of the Unified Health System (known as SUS – Sistema Único de Saúde). The previously mentioned schools were the focus of the study, and this work aimed to analyze their contributions to the services’ qualification provided by SUS. Using the qualitative approach, the research was carried out in two stages, using different methodological procedures with two types of data collection: documentary research and interviews. The documents’ analysis aimed to know the mission of the SSPH. The interviews with the directors and teachers intended to observe whether, in their perception, the educational actions developed are planned considering what is recommended by the National Policy for Permanent Education (NPPE). In the interviews with the States Health Secretaries of the SSPH included in the study, as well as the directors and teachers, it was sought to know their perception about the role and contribution of Schools to the health services in their States. By integrating, articulating and analyzing this rich set of information, it was possible to identify, according to the perception of its professors, directors and state health secretaries, the contribution of SSPH to health services. According to the interviewees, these Schools have significantly contributed to health professionals qualification and, for this reason, their work is recognized by SUS workers and managers. At the same time, they are Schools that face the challenge of insufficient resources, both financial and personnel. In this confrontation, they rely on the commitment and responsibility of their professionals. This research made it possible to know these Schools, that are committed to the principles and guidelines of SUS, and the work they develop, based on Permanent Health Education and, consequently, their contributions to the strengthening of SUS.