The Brazilian Public Health System

The common problem in Brazil for health care professionals seems to be a lack of distribution of doctors into the more rural areas of the country. On average in Brazil, there are only 2 hospital beds per 1,000 people. In the northern regions of Brazil, where more rural areas are found, the amount of hospitals per resident is lower than the average. Much like in the United States, doctors are very reluctant to the thought of beginning a practice in a small rural town. Reasons being that small rural towns are usually less populated and on average bring in less household income. In Brazil, the idea of practicing medicine in these depressed areas is even less glamorous because of the government involvement in health care. In these areas, practices receive less attention including lack of supplies and infrastructure.

Looking at various systems around the world and how they came into existence provide useful comparisons and illuminate how different countries have responded to very similar needs of their citizens as well as how to mitigate limitations and marshal opportunities offered in the diversity of these systems (Johnson & Stoskopf, 2010). This paper analyzes several health systems

The medical industrial complex (MIC) holds many influences in the care of women, especially poor marginalized women. MIC is simply a platform of the network among corporations that supply health care services and products to make money. Oparah and Bonaparte explain how the individual’s ability to pay determines the quality of care they receive (Oparah & Bonaparte, 2015, pg. 4). In relations to birthing, hospitals aren’t a place for an intimate connection between a woman that’s about to give birth and their newborns. It’s more of a time efficiency center where doctors (mainly white men) would purposely perform cesarean deliveries to not only save time, but to make a

Childbirth is one of the greatest privileges on the earth anyone could have and we, as women, should feel proud to be major contributors for it. Thus, a mother has to play a key role in aiding the healthcare workers to mitigate the health crisis associated with childbirth by performing her duties faithfully. One such associated health crisis is “Premature (preterm) birth” which occurs when the baby is born too early, before 37 weeks of gestational period (CDC, 2015). The rate of preterm birth ranges from 5% to 18% of babies born across 184 countries (WHO, 2015).

Maternal mortality represents more than the loss of lives for individual women, as it also reflects the larger value and prioritization of women 's health and threatens the health and survival of families, young children, and even the communities in which they live (Royston and Armstrong, 1989). Maternal mortality is unacceptably high (WHO, 2015b). Globally, approximately 830 women die every day from pregnancy- or childbirth-related complications (ibid.). The causes of maternal mortality are predominately preventable and can be classified into three fundamental causes: (1) medical - consisting of direct medical problems and pre-existent/coexistent medical problems that are aggravated by pregnancy, (2) underlying - social and legal conditions, and (3) health systems laws and policies that address availability, accessibility, and quality of reproductive health services (PHP et al, 2011).

For hundred of years, women have wrestled with their womanhood, bodies, and what it means to be a woman in our society. Being a woman comes with a wonderful and empowering responsibility--giving birth. What sets us aside from other countries is that the process and expectations of giving birth has changed in our society; coming from midwifery, as it has always been since the early times, to hospitals where it is now expected to give birth at. Midwifery was a common practice in delivering babies in

The author is a nurse in a level two trauma facility in a community of approximately fifty thousand people in Oregon. The community is a college-town surrounded by a large agricultural area. There is a minimal ethnic diversity within the community. The diversity present occurs mainly from internationally students and faculty from the college. There is a growing population of women who desire low interventional births in the community. The author has worked on the labor and delivery unit of the hospital for the last 14 years. The hospital is the only one in the area to offer trial of labor services to women who have previously undergone a cesarean section. The unit on average experiences around 1000 deliveries annually.

Because the Universal health care system in Brazil is free to all citizens those in poverty are not burdened with debt due to unavoidable illnesses therefore socioeconomic disparities are avoided as well. The current health status of citizens in Brazil can be classified as improving. The life expectancy has been increasing as well as decreasing rates in infant death

However Brazil has emerged being internationally recognized as a leader of one the best public health systems in the world. The difference between the United States and Brazil comes down to one major factor, it is not how much money you spend on health care, but in fact how you take that money and use it resourcefully. Brazil is very good at promoting and taking care of their citizens. In one interview with a student from Brazil I learned that a lot of citizens of Brazil elect to choose private healthcare if they can afford it. The reason they choose to elect private healthcare is because the public healthcare system has limited resources, for every one doctor there are eight hundred and thirty-three patients compared to the United States where the ratio is one doctor for every four hundred and sixteen patients. Due to the doctor-patient ratio in Brazil the system is very strained with so many patients, there is a long delay in care and advanced treatments. Most people with public healthcare only use the SUS if really needed. The public sector has less money available which unfortunately causes a decline in the quality of care. In one comparison that I read about I found out that people in Brazil pay about seven hundred and sixty-five dollars per year for medical care compared the people in the United State that pay an average of seven thousand two hundred and ninety dollars per year. Ultimately the quality of care is higher for those that can pay or have private healthcare. The United States is the same way the more you are able to pay the better the care you receive and I feel this is a sad truth to our

As medicine has advanced greatly over the centuries, a large amount of people across the globe would suggest that a baby should be delivered in a hospital setting. A hospital birth has many, if not the most, positive aspects to its approach. As far as experience, knowledge, accessibility, and safety goes it is top notch. It takes twelve years to become an Obstetrician after graduating high school. At this point in time, one has learned and gained immense wisdom and knowledge about the human body studying the course of pre-medicine and medicine. Not only has an Obstetrician gained educational knowledge

al. 639). Each clinic is associated with an administrative area, of which there are 98, and both administrative areas and the EBAIS and tied to a medical region, of which there are 7. Outside of the clinics, “several types of hospitals are operated by the CCSS, including 5 specialty national hospitals, 3 general national hospitals, 7 regional hospitals, 13 peripheral hospitals, and 10 major clinics serving as referral centers for the EBAISs” (Unger, et. al. 639). In this way, the system is similar to Cuba because of its administrative divisions and focus on local primary care before moving to other levels of care. Costa Rica is different, however, in that it does have private care. While the government encourages the growth of the public sector, in times of client overflow and if patients become frustrated with long waiting periods, Costa Ricans may be referred to a private physician, though the CCSS covers the cost of labs and any prescriptions needed (Unger et. al.

Objective: to evaluate the sociodemographic and obstetric profile of puerperal women at advanced maternal age. Methods: descriptive study with quantitative approach. Data were collected in a public hospital in southern Brazil, using a structured questionnaire applied on medical records, from December 2015 to January 2016. Data were analyzed by SPSS 18.0. Results: the population was 223 puerperal women, 68,6% had 35 to 39 years old, 82,5% were white women, 75,7% were married, 35,4% completed high school and 51,1% worked in a paid job. Regarding to obstetric profile, 91,9% made prenatal care, being that 59,2% made six consults or more. Of all women, 53,4% had cesarean section and 46,6% vaginal birth, 19,7% had preterm babies, 75,3% term and 5%

To culturally adapt and validate the Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC) of WHO for Brazilian hospitals.

Brazil’s economy has the power to make it a second world country, but its precarious health care system demotes its status to third world. Brazil ranked 125th out of 191 countries tested in a health conditions analysis done by the World Health Organization in 2000 (SEJUP). This ranking is in part due to the almost nonexistent health services in many portions of Brazil. The 1988 Federal Constitution and Organic Health Law of 1990 universalized healthcare unified the public healthcare system and decentralized the management and organization of health services from federal to state and municipal level (PAHO, 1999).

In Brazil 's recent history, the country 's healthcare market has been largely inaccessible to foreign investment. The country has dedicated public funds to run health care facilities. According to (The Lancet, 2014), Brazil 's 1998 constitution officially declared all citizens were entitled to healthcare. This provision birthed the Unified Health System (SUS). A system which relies heavily on taxes and government support. Historically, Brazil 's government has blocked FDI inflows in the health sector. However stagnation, combined with a strong desire to spur economic growth, gave way to a major policy change. As noted by (Alves, 2015), in January 2015 a new provision was enacted by the Brazilian government to allow foreign investment in the health sector. This landmark policy alteration may mark the beginning of dramatic increases in the countries Healthcare sector over the next decade.