Primary health care (PHC) is the basis of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS). After a discontinuity in PHC evaluation policies, the Ministry of Health, with the support of the PHC Research Network of the Brazilian Association of Public Health (Abrasco), carried out the Brazilian National Basic Health Unit Census in 2024. The objective of this article is to present its creation and operationalization. The census methodology was based on a participatory approach, involving several actors, including departments of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the Brazilian National Council of Health, the Brazilian National Council of Municipal Health Departments, academic institutions, and the Brazilian National Health Council. The data collection instrument was built collaboratively and applied online, using the e-Gestor PHC platform to ensure the institutionalization and security of the data. Nationwide, the operationalization received support in all states, mobilizing managers and professionals. All municipalities adhered to the census, with responses from all 44,938 basic health units (BHU) in Brazil. This success, despite the methodological challenges inherent to online surveys, demonstrates the engagement of the actors involved in strengthening the SUS. The process of preparing the 2024 BHU Census encompasses elements that make it an essential tool to the formulation of more effective, equitable public policies aligned with the principles of PHC and SUS, contributing significantly to the institutionalization of PHC evaluation in Brazil.
Bousquat et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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