Expanded Health Movement: Plurality of Actors and the Construction of Health Reform in Brazil (1970–1980)

Abstract

This study aims to examine the construction of the health movement within the context of the Brazilian health reform during the 1970s and 1980s, questioning the centrality attributed to the Cebes and Abrasco entities as the 
sole protagonists of this process. The investigation was based on a review of specialized literature and the analysis of institutional and historical documents, including academic publications, official reports, conference proceedings, and records of social movements. The study assumes that the health movement was a plural and heterogeneous phenomenon, composed of diverse social actors and organizational forms, going beyond the dominant narrative focused on institutionalization. The results indicate that, in addition to the significant role played by Cebes and Abrasco, other actors — such as popular movements, community organizations, labor  unions, and religious sectors — actively participated in formulating proposals and mobilizing for a public health system. It is concluded that the concept of the health movement should be broadened to incorporate multiple voices and historical experiences that contributed to the establishment of the Unified Health System (SUS).