Abstract:
This article aims to present some reflections on violence and its impact on health services and the health of the Brazilian population. lt begins with a critical commentary on perspectives that ascribe a sense of absoluteness to violence by considering it an ahistorical process, beyond conscience and society. Second, it calls attention to the epistemological and practical risk of reductionsim in the health sector, dealing with the phenomenon of violence as an epidemic, i.e., considering it a “social disease”. The author shows how the phenomenon is much more complex. Violence is a social problem, a barometer; and an indicator of quality of life. The text includes some geral data and calls attention to the possibility of sector-based and inter-sector actions, mainly for medical practice.
Key-words:
Violence; Health; Intersectorial Action