This article presents a reflection on Public Health as a political concept, an activity linked to the general organisation of society. From this frame of reference all institutional actions are considered "public" for their social relevance and participation of general interest. They should then both be ruled by socially defined normativiness and subjected to the institucionalised social control. Based on this concept the study brings the proposition of a theorico-methodological analysis of socio-economic and political determinants. These interactively affect the social policies with a conceptual framework from which derive three categories of analysis. First the Public Sphere - here understood as institutional, muldidiciplinary and popular space for discussion and decision on population health/illness/death processes. Next the Public Fund Sphere - the main social policy viability pressuposition, and finally the Public Funding Pattern defined by the directives and prioriries given by the governments to public funds. Brazilian Sanitary Reform and its further unfolding are adopted as examples of studies of this nature.
Brazilian Sanitary Refrom; Public Sphere; Public Fund Sphere; Public Funding Pattern