EVOLUTION OF THE HEALTH SYSTEM IN BRAZIL: FROM THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP TO THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE SUS/EVOLUCAO DO SISTEMA DE SAUDE NO BRASIL: DA DITADURA MILITAR A CONSOLIDACAO DO SUS/EVOLUCION DEL SISTEMA DE SALUD EN BRASIL: DE LA DICTADURA MILITAR A LA CONSOLIDACION DEL SUS

This study investigates the evolution of the health system in Brazil, from the military dictatorship to the implementation of the Unified Health System (SUS). During the dictatorship (1964-1985), the health system was elitist and fragmented, benefiting mainly the wealthier urban classes and neglecting rural and peripheral populations. Resistance to the regime and exclusionary policies fostered the fight for health reform, driven by social movements and health care professionals. The 1980s was a period of redemocratization and intense mobilization of the Sanitary Movement, which defended health as a right of citizenship and a duty of the state. The 8th National Health Conference, held in 1986, was a crucial milestone in the formulation of guidelines for an inclusive and universal health system. The promulgation of the 1988 Constitution, which enshrined the right to health as universal and free of charge, represented a significant step forward in that context. The methodology of this study is based on a critical review of the literature and analysis of historical data, allowing a detailed understanding of the political and social transformations that influenced health policies in Brazil. The results indicate that, despite the advances with the implementation of the SUS, the system still faces continuous challenges related to the financing, management and resistance of conservative and neoliberal forces. The study concludes that although SUS has established itself as one of the largest public health systems in the world, the struggle for the maintenance and expansion of public health services persists. The Brazilian experience offers valuable lessons on the importance of social participation and the ongoing commitment to public policies that promote health as a fundamental right. Keywords: Public health; health reform; Unified Health System; social rights; military dictatorship. Este estudo investiga a evolucao do sistema de saude no Brasil, desde a ditadura militar ate a implementacao do Sistema Unico de Saude (SUS). Durante a ditadura (19641985), o sistema de saude era elitista e fragmentado, beneficiando principalmente as classes urbanas mais ricas e negligenciando as populacoes rurais e perifericas. A resistencia ao regime e as politicas excludentes fomentaram a luta pela reforma sanitaria, impulsionada por movimentos sociais e profissionais de saude. A decada de 1980 foi um periodo de redemocratizacao e mobilizacao intensa do Movimento Sanitarista, que d