The aim of this study is to evaluate the decentralization of Epidemiologic Surveillance actions to the Family Health Program in a city in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The research was conducted as a case study, using adapted techniques of thematic and evaluative analysis. In face of the need to adopt a model for this analysis, it was decided to adopt the political model of implantation analysis. The primary data were collected in semi-structured interviews with managers of the local Health Department and the Family Health Team and the secondary data through document analysis. The study demonstrated that Epidemiologic Surveillance is understood in three ways: as a kind of medical police action; as an instrument of surveillance focused on the control of transmissible diseases and as surveillance addressing the risk of damages. As refers to the capacity of intervention, although mainly directed to disease detection and control, the performance of the Family Health Team was found positive. We conclude that it is possible to decentralize Epidemiologic Surveillance to the Family Health Program but the effective implantation of this process will depend on the support of health managers and professionals and on a political project assuming the decentralization of epidemiologic survey a strategy towards reorganization of the healthcare system in the city.
Decentralization; Epidemiologic surveillance; Family Health Team; Evaluation