This paper deals with the "model" of workers’ health care delivery based on the strategy of a National Network for Comprehensive Workers’ Health Care (RENAST), which is under construction within the National Health System (SUS) in Brazil. RENAST is a national network of information and health practices, developed with the main purpose of providing health care action, health surveillance and health promotion actions, at the primary health care level, medium and high complexity outpatient clinics and hospital level, under social control. According to this "model", "Workers’ Health Reference Centers" play a role of technical support, and dissemination of a "culture" of the core role played by work in the health/disease process, and the "culture" of social production of disease. Also, these "Reference Centers" have to play a vital role in negotiations and political/institutional arrangements with other social actors, both within the Health Sector and with other institutional actors, within their geographic jurisdiction. This paper includes a brief summary of Workers’ Health inception and development in the National Health System (SUS) of Brazil; some crucial operational aspects of this development process; and, finally, some advancements, difficulties and perspectives for this new model, based on the RENAST.
Workers’ health; Workers’ health care; Occupational health
