SUS: a biography

SUS: a biography: struggles and achievements of Brazilian society , by Luiz Antonio Santini and Clóvis Bulcão, is the story of the largest public health project in the world told by its main characters.

The Unified Health System (SUS) is the largest public health system in the world and, since its creation in 1988, more than 190 million people have received free health care, including consultations, organ and tissue transplants, surgeries and medications, throughout Brazil.

From its founding to the greatest recent tragedy—the Covid-19 pandemic and, above all, the federal government's stance toward it—the system has suffered from misinformation, neglect, and corruption, which often hinder the efforts of those who most need it to function properly: the public.

As a public and federal institution, the SUS has been deeply impacted by many political and historical events. Between laws, disputes, and major events, it is deeply embedded in the daily lives of most Brazilians, protecting what is not only a right but also human nature to preserve—life, health, and well-being.

With exclusive accounts from public health doctors, activists, academics, and politicians involved in the fight for free, high-quality public health care, and extensive research, SUS: A Biography is a detailed account of the construction of one of the largest primary health care systems in the world and how the Brazilian population must continue to fight to ensure that today's achievements are not lost tomorrow.

"This book, which chronicles the process of building the Unified Health System (SUS), is timely and well-timed. It was written by the competent hands of Luiz Antonio Santini, a physician and important early leader of health care in Brazil, and Clóvis Bulcão, a renowned historian. It is an important record, the successful result of intense research informed by the experiences of its main author." – Arminio Fraga