The potential impact of austerity on attainment of the sustainable development goals in Brazil

In the recent decades, Brazil has outperformed comparable countries in its progress toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals. Many of these improvements have been driven by investments in health and social policies. In this article, we aim to identify potential impacts of austerity policies in Brazil on the chances of achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and its consequences for population health. Austerity’s anticipated impacts are assessed by analysing the change in federal spending on different budget programmes from 2014 to 2017. We collected budget data made publicly available by the Senate. Among the selected 19 programmes, only 4 had their committed budgets increased, in real terms, between 2014 and 2017. The total amount of extra money committed to these four programmes in 2017, above that committed in 2014, was small (BR$9.7 billion). Of the 15 programmes that had budget cuts in the period from 2014 to 2017, the total decrease amounted to BR$60.2 billion (US$15.3 billion). In addition to the overall large budget reduction, it is noteworthy that the largest proportional reductions were in programmes targeted at more vulnerable populations. In conclusion, it seems clear that the current austerity policies in Brazil will probably damage the population’s health and increase inequities, and that the possibility of meeting SDG targets is lower in 2018 than it was in 2015

Levantamento de dados sobre o conhecimento e informação acerca dos medicamentos genéricos em uma população de pacientes do serviço de saúde ambulatorial do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil Knowledge and information concerning generic drugs in a public outpatient population in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

A Lei nº. 9.787/99, que regulamenta os medicamentos genéricos, contempla normas para o registro e prevê a expansão do acesso da população a medicamentos seguros, eficazes, com qualidade e baixo custo. Após um quadriênio da introdução dos genéricos no Brasil, propõe-se verificar o conhecimento e a informação sobre genéricos entre os usuários dos serviços públicos de saúde ambulatorial do Recife, Pernambuco. No ano de 2002, foi aplicado um questionário pré-elaborado. Dos entrevistados, 76,1% eram do sexo feminino. Ouviram falar sobre o "medicamento genérico" 95,7% e 68,1% conheciam o medicamento genérico. As ações adotadas pelo governo, quanto à divulgação das propriedades desta especialidade farmacêutica e às vantagens oferecidas ao consumidor, atingiram sobremaneira esta população.<br>Brazilian Federal Act 9,787/99, regulating generic medicines, includes rules for drug registration and provides for the population's access to safe, effective, high-quality, and low-cost medication. Four years after the introduction of generic drugs on the Brazilian market, we proposed to measure knowledge and information on generic drugs among the clientele at a public outpatient clinic in Recife, Pernambuco State, applying a questionnaire in 2000. 76.1% of the interviewees were women, 95.7% had heard of generic drugs, and 68.1% could define generic medication. Government action to publicize the properties of such medicines and their advantages for consumers has thus reached the vast majority of the population