Health vulnerabilities and the importance of integrating local production of strategic medicines for the SUS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/

Keywords:

health science and technology policy, health economic-industrial complex, pharmaceutical care, product production, supply chain

Abstract

A strengthened local supply chain is an essential and highly relevant condition for universal access to health care. This article enables a movement towards a public policy agenda that involve the entire productive health system, including strategic components of the production chain beyond active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), without which universal health access and health sovereignty become unfeasible, leaving the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) vulnerable. Within this perspective, qualitative bibliographic research was conducted together with field observation among key informants of the drug production supply chain from Brazil’s main Official Pharmaceutical Laboratory. Results showed that in addition to active pharmaceutical ingredients, other strategic health care items in the supply chain also constitute technological bottlenecks. These findings may contribute to expand the debate on health vulnerabilities, relating the productive and economic structure to universal access, thus establishing, nationally and internationally, a theoretical link between the economy, production local and social rights.

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Author Biographies

  • Denilson Bastos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz

    Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

  • Carlos Gadelha, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz

    Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sérgio Arouca. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.

Published

2024-05-10

Issue

Section

Original research articles

How to Cite

Bastos, D., & Gadelha, C. (2024). Health vulnerabilities and the importance of integrating local production of strategic medicines for the SUS. Saúde E Sociedade, 32(4), e220748pt. https://doi.org/10.1590/