Thirty-Six Years of Law No. 8,142/1990: Impacts of Social Control on the Development of Public Health Policies

Law No. 8,142/1990 represents a fundamental milestone in the institutionalization of social participation in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), by establishing Health Councils and Health Conferences as permanent spaces for community participation. This study aimed to analyze the contributions of this legislation to the institutionalization of social control and its relationship with the development of public health policies over 36 years, highlighting advances, limitations, and contemporary challenges. This is a narrative literature review with a qualitative and descriptive-analytical approach, complemented by documentary analysis of normative and institutional frameworks related to social participation in the SUS. The literature analyzed shows that Law No. 8,142/1990 consolidated mechanisms for representation, deliberation, monitoring, and oversight of health policies, expanding channels of dialogue between society and public management. However, its effectiveness remains conditioned by challenges related to representativeness, the qualification of council members, access to information, infrastructure, social mobilization, and coordination between participatory deliberations and government planning. It is concluded that the legislation consolidated an important institutional framework for social participation in the SUS, but its strengthening depends on expanding the conditions for qualified, representative participation capable of effectively influencing public health decisions.