Primary health care in the agenda of the pan american health organization in the 2000s

The article discusses the agenda of the Pan American Health Organization for primary health care and its implications for social protection in Latin America in the 2000s. Exploratory in nature, the study was based on the literature concerning social protection and included the review of the literature and documental analysis as methodological strategies, the technical reference for which was rhetoric analysis. The research sought to identify the concepts and meanings underlying the proposal for 'renewed health in primary care' insofar as the perspective of social protection is concerned, considering three aspects: target population (universal or targeted), scope (comprehensive or limited), and the way the services are organized (public-private relations). Results indicate that, historically, the Pan American Health Organization's political agenda has had continuities and discontinuities. The movement for the renewal of primary health care expresses an important inflection on this agenda, as it suggests a vision for primary health care as a restructuring strategy for the national health systems, in addition to the programmatic approach. However, concerning social protection, the proposals that have been made seem to be compatible with different health system arrangements with regard to the concept of universalism, action scope, and public-private partnerships.

primary health care; Pan American Health Organization; social policy; health services; Americas