SAO PAULO HEALTH

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The principal goals of the National Health Policy Studies Project are to help improve the health status of the low-income population of Greater Sao Paulo, and to help formulate medium-term objectives and plans for the entire health sector. The project consists of two subprojects, each supported by a separate loan. The Sao Paulo basic health care subproject will help introduce a basic health care delivery model that will: (i) emphasize prevention of illness, as well as health and nutrition education, while providing low-cost curative care, which will cover about 90 percent of the health needs of an average community; (ii) provide services through a network of grassroots-level basic health units supported by community hospitals; (iii) support the introduction of an effective referral system and improved health service payment procedures; and (iv) promote the rational use of medical personnel through appropriate employment of paramedical staff and well-remunerated full-time physicians. It replicated elsewhere in the state and in Brazil. The national health policy studies subproject will support a program of studies designed to help the federal government formulate and implement medium-term objectives and plans for the entire health sector.