Abstract
The Brazilian Amazon is far from being a homogeneous area. There are various forms of occupation and livelihood in the area that have in common a daily life deeply marked by interaction with the natural environment. Highlighting some elements of Boaventura de Souza Santos’ social theory, this paper discusses how the problem of a linear timeline and the dominant scale in hegemonic thinking has served to leave the Amazonian territories outside the scope of inclusion in public health planning. It further points out that in order to engender ‘post-abyssal’ thinking in the SUS for the region inevitably requires the redefinition of the economic role of the region and an inclusive social development framework with the Brazilian Amazon, and not irrespective of it. Lastly, the possibility that the local SUS should be based on a three-pronged approach, not exclusively urban-centered, which considers its territorial extension, population density and the ways in which access to health services takes place.
Key words:
Health policy; Health planning; Unified Health System; Brazilian Amazon