Health research in Brazil: challenges to be faced

Abstract

The essay presents reflections on how much research and development are capable of promoting a virtuous cycle in universal health systems, such as the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), endowing them with science for decision making and innovative proposals, when considering the opinions of its users. Based on the demands for ‘research’ presented in the final report of the VIII National Health
Conference, it presents the current scenario of research in Brazil, with emphasis on insufficient funding and the gap between scientific production and health practices. It concludes by presenting the challenges that health researchers must translate to include Brazilians, their realities and capacities in the promotion of change and innovation for the SUS in the reduction of social inequalities, departing from debates on the future of universal systems.