This paper gives an empirical and contextualized presentation of the health-sickness-care process and its relation with poverty, emphasizing the problem of people who live in and of the street. We try to stimulate a reflection on the technical, scientific and political function of nursing care for the street population. This paper is structured in three topics: first, we present the problem of people living in the streets of São Paulo city, characterizing their peculiarities and emphasizing ways of survival. Next, we situate the theoretical study area, discussing the health-sickness-care process and its relation with poverty, as well as nursing care. Finally, we present some final considerations.
health; disease; empathy; nursing; homeless persons