Making the Right to Health a Reality for Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples: Innovation, Decentralization and Equity
Abstract
This article provides an overview of governance arrangements
and changes in the Brazilian public health system since 1988,
when the “Citizen’s Constitution” declared health to be a universal
right. Since then, population coverage has grown substantially and
health indicators have improved. Despite these achievements, inequities
in access remain an important barrier to universal coverage,
in particular for marginalized groups such as indigenous
peoples. This article discusses the innovation cycle that produced
the gains and recent efforts to guarantee more equitable access to
health services for the indigenous population in a continent-sized
country historically plagued by great inequalities.