Workforce and Health Education Management: The People who Make the SUS HappenThe training of health personnel and the management of the healthcare workforce are core dimensions of the development, strengthening, efficiency, and sustainability of national health systems. The production and dissemination of knowledge on these topics are therefore essential tasks for the scientific community, which−through its networks and research groups−can contribute to analyzing needs and developing proposals that underpin the formulation of public policies.
In the Brazilian case under scrutiny, the process of construction of the Unified Health System (SUS −Sistema Único de Saúde) over recent decades has required and stimulated the training of researchers and the development of studies addressing multiple facets of this field. This process has led, particularly within the domain of Public Health, to the organization of research groups dedicated to these issues. As a result, studies on “Human Resources for Health” have expanded and been redefined, giving rise to the interdisciplinary field of Workforce Management and Health Education (GTES). This field encompasses diverse theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches focused on health workforce training, workforce sizing, policies for staffing across different organizational levels of the system, as well as labor market dynamics, working conditions and remuneration, and ongoing education policies and practices1.
Within the SUS, several efforts have been made to include Workforce Management and Health Education on the agenda of health managers. In January 2023, Brazil experienced a major governmental shift in a context marked by the defense of democracy, the reconstruction of the SUS, and the reestablishment of the coordinating role of the Ministry of Health at the national level. In the GTES field, the Ministry of Health−through the Bureau of Workforce Management and Health Education (SGTES)−resumed its institutional project, defining its mission as a space for assisting health workers and establishing social commitment, responsibility, equity, and fulfilling work as core values.
Consistent with these principles and values, and in alignment with the enhancement of social participation in SUS governance, the SGTES supported the National Health Council in organizing the 4th National Conference on Workforce Management and Health Education. The preparatory process included a series of free, municipal, and state conferences, culminating in a broad national debate held in Brasília in December 20242. The 4th Conference thus became a space for participatory governance, fostering debate on policy proposals aimed at ensuring labor rights, promoting equity, and addressing challenges related to workplace conditions, remuneration, job satisfaction, and the health of workers in the sector.
This thematic issue commemorates the progress that has been made in research in this field, highlighting−through the articles published−the theoretical and political maturing of the area of Workforce and Health Education. It also celebrates the 4th National Conference as a meeting space for diverse actors−researchers, educators, managers, workers, and activists from councils, associations, unions, and social movements−committed to the continuity and improvement of the SUS, the shared institutional nucleus where nearly five million workers ensure daily care for the health of the Brazilian population.
References
- 1 Pinto ICM, Nunes TCM, Belisário AS, Campos FE. De Recursos Humanos a Trabalho e Educação na Saúde: o estado da arte no campo da Saúde Coletiva. In: Paim J, Almeida Filho N. Saúde Coletiva: Teoria e Prática. 2ª ed. Rio de Janeiro: Medbook; 2023. p. 611-224.
- 2 Conselho Nacional de Saúde (CNS). Democracia, trabalho e educação na saúde para o desenvolvimento: gente que faz o SUS acontecer. Documento Orientador da IV Conferência Nacional de Gestão do Trabalho e da Educação na Saúde. Brasília: CNS, 2024.
