Abstract We analyzed the outcome of the delivery of live births (LB) with low birth weight (LBW) in Brazil, focusing on women living in remote rural municipalities (MRR), vis-à-vis the need to travel to deliver in another municipality. Quantitative study, with information from the Live Births Information System (SINASC), 2013-19, Brazil. The outcome of childbirth-LBW and commuting to childbirth were analyzed, comparing the outcomes in women living in the RRM and other municipalities. During the period, 20,476,367 LB were registered in Brazil, with 437,800-2.14% in RRM. Considering all municipalities, childbirth with displacement has 1.2 times the chance of LBW when interacting with RRM. Living in a RRM was a protective factor (OR = 0.6). The multivariate model showed higher odds of LBW equally for RRM and the rest of Brazil in pregnancies < 37 weeks (16.2), multiple pregnancies (10.0), cesarean delivery (1.1), teenager (1.1), < 7 prenatal-PN visits (1.7), other birthplaces (2.0), black (1.2) and more recent year of birth (1.02). This study showed that being born in the RRM was a protective factor for LBW, although with fewer PN consultations, higher proportions of trips to other municipalities and more teenage mothers than in the rest of the country.

Resumo Analisou-se o desfecho do parto de nascidos vivos (NV) com baixo peso (BPN) no Brasil em mulheres residentes nos municípios rurais remotos (MRR), vis a vis o deslocamento ao parto em outro município. Estudo quantitativo, com informações do Sistema de Informação de Nascidos Vivos (SINASC) de 2013-2019, no Brasil. Analisados o desfecho de parto-BPN e deslocamento, comparando os desfechos em mulheres residentes-MRR e demais municípios brasileiros. No período, foram registrados 20.476.367 NV no Brasil, com 437.800-2,14% em MRR. Considerando todos os municípios, o parto com deslocamento aumenta 1,2 vez a chance de BPN, potencializada em sua interação com os MRR. Morar em MRR foi fator protetor (OR = 0,6). O modelo multivariado apresentou maiores chances de BPN - igualmente para MRR e o restante do Brasil - em gestações < 37 semanas (16,2), gravidez múltipla (10,0), parto cesáreo (1,1), adolescentes (1,1), < 7 consultas de pré-natal-PN (1,7), nascimento em outros locais (2,0), pretas (1,2) e ano de nascimento mais recente (1,02). Este estudo demonstrou que nascer em MRR foi fator protetor para BPN, ainda que em um cenário de menor número de consultas-PN, de maiores deslocamentos a outros municípios e de maior número de mães adolescentes que o restante do país.

The health crisis resulting from community transmission of COVID-19 called for the health surveillance to play a central role in facing the pandemic. This study analyzes the contributions and difficulties faced by health surveillance in the development of actions to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazilian remote rural municipalities from the perspective of managers, professionals and users. This was a qualitative study of multiple cases that involved a thematic and deductive analysis of 51 interviews conducted with managers and health professionals in 16 remote rural municipalities in the states of Rond & ocirc;nia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Piaui, Minas Gerais, and Amazonas, and 29 interviews with users, community health agents and social movements in eight remote rural municipalities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they faced difficulties in operationalizing health surveillance and ensuring the access of patients with compromised respiratory status to health services. They needed to reorganize the health care network, establish technical cooperation, conduct inter-agency governance and seek alternatives to operationalize the local health system. The main obstacles faced in care were related to articulation between states, which were insufficient to strengthen the care and laboratory network and the logistical system. The political, structural and organizational constraints confirmed that local managers contributed to contain the risks and made an effort to establish local intersectoral arrangements and relations, integrate health surveillance with primary health care, reorganize work processes and communication with the population. Effectively and sustainably overcoming the difficulties faced by remote rural municipalities requires cooperation between states guided by the principles of comprehensiveness, intersectoriality, and social participation.

The structural typology of PHC units was drawn up based on the results of the 2024 National Census of PHC units, and the results were compared with those of 2012. Types of teams, diversity of professionals, shifts, available services, and facilities and supplies were used as the sub-dimension categories. A reference standard was set for each sub-dimension and a standardized score was calculated, with 1 being the best. Of the 44,938 PHC units that took part in the Census, 43,209 presented complete information on the variables and were analyzed. The final average score was 0.878, which proved to be 20% higher than in 2012. The sub-dimension with the worst score was "types of teams", and the best was "shifts". The units were grouped according to their final score from best to worst: A, B, C, D, E. All regions increased the percentage of PHC units in groups A and B, especially the North and Northeast. Type A was observed in 21.3% of the PHC units, a 4.4-fold increase, when compared to 2012. Advances in infrastructure conditions, shifts, and the increased presence of doctors indicate the effects of policies aimed at expanding access to PHC. However, essential components for comprehensive PHC still deserve attention, such as the presence of a sufficient number of Community Health Workers (CHWs), universal dispensing of medicines, and equalization between oral health teams and family health strategy (FHS) teams.

Resumo: A crise sanitária decorrente da transmissão comunitária da COVID-19 convocou a vigilância em saúde a exercer papel central no enfrentamento da pandemia. Este estudo analisa as contribuições e dificuldades da vigilância em saúde para desenvolver as ações de enfrentamento à pandemia da COVID-19 em municípios rurais remotos brasileiros na perspectiva dos gestores, profissionais e usuários. Estudo qualitativo de casos múltiplos com análise temática e dedutiva de 51 entrevistas, conduzidas com gestores e profissionais de saúde em 16 municípios rurais remotos dos estados de Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Piauí, Minas Gerais e Amazonas, e 29 entrevistas de usuários, agentes comunitários de saúde e movimentos sociais de oito municípios rurais remotos. Durante a pandemia da COVID-19, enfrentaram dificuldades para operacionalizar a vigilância em saúde e o acesso dos sintomáticos respiratórios aos serviços de saúde. Necessitaram reorganizar a rede de atenção à saúde, obter cooperação técnica, realizar a governança intergestores e buscar alternativas para operacionalizar o sistema locorregional de saúde. Os principais obstáculos enfrentados no cuidado foram relativos à articulação interfederativa, insuficientes para fortalecer a rede assistencial, laboratorial e o sistema logístico. Os condicionantes políticos, estruturais e organizacionais confirmaram que os gestores locais contribuíram para conter os riscos, e se empenharam para: estabelecer arranjos e relações intersetoriais locais, integrar a vigilância em saúde à atenção primária à saúde, reorganizar os processos de trabalho e a comunicação com a população. A superação efetiva e sustentável das dificuldades enfrentadas pelos municípios rurais remotos requer compartilhamento interfederativo pautado pelos princípios da integralidade, intersetorialidade e participação social.

BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, children faced a disproportionate burden of malnutrition and poor health outcomes. Nurturing care interventions (NCIs) including actions toward good health, adequate nutrition, responsive care, opportunities for early learning, and security and safety are critical for promoting equity. Due to the need for evidence-based responses and preparedness, we analyzed adaptations in NCIs’ implementation strategies during COVID-19 according to the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications to Evidence-based Implementation Strategies (FRAME-IS).MethodWe conducted a global scoping review including peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature. The databases searched were PubMed, Embase, Scopus, BVS, Scielo, and Web of Science. This search was complemented by an extensive examination of relevant websites and an additional internet search via Google Scholar. We extracted and analyzed the data following the seven modules of the FRAME-IS.ResultsOut of 20 records, 27 NCI were identified across Africa (n = 3), Asia (n = 7), Europe (n = 3), North America (n = 11), Oceania (n = 1), and South America (n = 2). NCIs adapted their content (e.g., adding elements), evaluation (e.g., conducting needs assessment), training (e.g., using experts), and context (e.g., setting—shifting from in-person to remote, and population—expanding interventions’ reach). Adaptation goals were to increase acceptability (n = 9, 32.1%), adoption (n = 5, 17.8%), appropriateness (n = 10, 35.7%), feasibility (n = 25, 89.3%), penetration (n = 15, 53.6%), sustainability (n = 23, 82.1%), and fidelity (n = 1, 3.7%). The rationale to adapt varied from sociopolitical (n = 6, 21.4%), organizational (n = 13, 46.4%), implementer (n = 11, 39.3%), practitioner (n = 15, 53.6%), and recipient (n = 11, 39.3%). A quarter were reactive planned adaptations and 75.0% were unplanned modifications. Decisions were led by program leaders (n = 21, 75.0%), funders (n = 9, 32.1%), partners (n = 3, 10.7%), researchers (n = 1, 3.6%), and practitioners (n = 3, 10.7%). Adaptations were widespread from unit (e.g., hospital) (n = 1, 3.6%), organization (n = 4, 14.3%), and community system (e.g., countrywide) (n = 14, 50.0%).ConclusionThe results from our global scoping review show that it is possible for NCIs to continue and even improve their delivery despite the global crisis, suggesting that remote delivery is feasible and can work as an alternative when in lockdown. Strategic planning taking advantage of existing structures and partnerships may have allowed NCI adaptations to be sustainable as well as facilitated replication within the organization network system.

Resumo: Na pandemia de COVID-19, as populações que vivem mais afastadas dos centros urbanos enfrentaram imensas dificuldades no acesso aos serviços de saúde. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar como os municípios rurais remotos brasileiros enfrentaram a pandemia de COVID-19, tendo como base sua resposta política, estrutural e organizativa ao acesso à saúde. Trata-se de estudo qualitativo de casos múltiplos com a análise de conteúdo temática e dedutiva de 51 entrevistas conduzidas com gestores e profissionais de saúde em 16 municípios rurais remotos dos estados de Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Piauí, Minas Gerais e Amazonas. Com dinâmicas socioespaciais próprias, grandes distâncias até os centros de referência, os municípios rurais remotos responderam às demandas da pandemia, mas não tiveram suas necessidades atendidas oportunamente. Preservaram a comunicação com a população, reorganizaram o sistema local centrado na atenção primária à saúde (APS), alteraram o funcionamento das unidades de saúde, ultrapassando os limites de suas atribuições para prestar o cuidado necessário e aguardar o encaminhamento aos demais níveis de complexidade. Enfrentaram a escassez de serviços, as lacunas assistenciais da rede regional e o transporte sanitário inadequado. A pandemia reiterou as dificuldades da APS em coordenar o cuidado e expôs os vazios assistenciais nas regiões de referência. A provisão equitativa e resolutiva do sistema local de saúde nos municípios rurais remotos implica na articulação interfederativa à formulação e implementação de políticas públicas de modo a assegurar o direito à saúde.

Objective The Brazilian remote rurality has been classified more reliably only recently, according to demographic density, proportion of urban population, and accessibility to urban centers. It comprises 5.8% of the municipalities, in nearly half of the states, with a population of 3,524,597 (1.85%). Remote rural localities (RRL) have reduced political/economic power, facing greater distances and barriers. Most health strategies are developed with the urban space in mind. We aim to understand how RRL are positioned concerning efficiency/effectiveness in health, compared to other urban-rural typologies of Brazilian localities, focusing on Primary Health Care (PHC), and its organizational models.Methods We evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of the organizational models using the health production model, from 2010-2019, gradually deepening the immersion into the RRL reality. We analyzed the human and financial resources dimensions, emphasizing teams, the results of PHC actions, and health levels. We used the fixed effects model and data envelopment analysis, cross-sectioned by intersectional inequities. We compared the Brazilian states with and without RRL, Brazilian municipalities according to rural-urban typologies, and RRL clusters.Results Brazilian RRL states show superior resource/health efficiency through services utilization according to health needs. The remote rural typology demonstrated greater efficiency and effectiveness in health than the other typologies in the RRL states. The organizational models with the Family Health Strategy (FHS) teams and the Community Health Worker (CHW) visits played a key role, together with local per capita health expenditures and intergovernmental transfers. Thus, financial resources and health professionals are essential to achieve efficient/effective results in health services. Among the RRL, the Amazon region clusters stand out, denoting the importance of riverine and fluvial health teams, the proportion of diagnostic/treatment units in addition to the proportion of illiteracy and adolescent mothers along with the inequity of reaching high levels of schooling between gender/ethnicity.Conclusion Hopefully, these elements might contribute to gains in efficiency and effectiveness, prioritizing the allocation of financial/human resources, mobile FHS teams, availability of local diagnosis/treatment, and basic sanitation. Finally, one should aim for equity of gender/ethnicity in income and education and, above all, of place, perceived in its entirety.

Resumen El objetivo es realizar un análisis comparativo de la implementación de la APS en nueve países de Suramérica. A partir de fuentes documentales fueron destacadas tres dimensiones: compromiso político, liderazgo y gobernanza; modelo de atención; involucramiento de comunidades y otros actores. Los resultados indican la existencia de compromiso formal que localiza la APS en el centro de los esfuerzos para lograr el acceso universal. Se observan procesos de revitalización en los subsistemas públicos, basados en la garantía de acciones preventivas, promocionales, de cura y rehabilitación; puerta de entrada; enfoque familiar y comunitario; población y territorio adscriptos; equipos multiprofesionales, y, en algunos casos, énfasis en la interculturalidad expresada en la concepción de “buen vivir”. Los procesos de revitalización de la APS fueron afectados por cambios políticos. Entre avances y retrocesos, no se logró superar la segmentación de cobertura. El momento actual es de rescate de políticas públicas más inclusivas y amplias, en el contexto de recomposición de los campos progresistas y democráticos. Difundir experiencias de los países puede contribuir para el desarrollo de un enfoque de APS integral, integrada y de calidad en la Región.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, populations living further away from urban centers faced immense difficulties accessing health services. This study aims to analyze how Brazilian remote rural municipalities faced the COVID-19 pandemic based on their political, structural, and organizational response to access to healthcare. A qualitative study of multiple cases was conducted with thematic and deductive content analysis of 51 interviews conducted with managers and healthcare professionals in 16 remote rural municipalities in the states of Rondônia, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Piauí, Minas Gerais, and Amazonas. With their socio-spatial dynamics and long distances to reference centers, the remote rural municipalities responded to the demands of the pandemic but did not have their needs met promptly. They preserved communication with the population, reorganized the local system centered on primary health care (PHC), and changed the functioning of healthcare units, exceeding the limits of their responsibilities to provide the necessary care and awaiting referral to other levels of complexity. They faced a shortage of services, gaps in assistance in the regional network, and inadequate healthcare transport. The pandemic reiterated PHC's difficulties in coordinating care, exposing care gaps in reference regions. The equitable and resolute provision of the local health system in the remote rural municipalities implies inter-federative articulation in formulating and implementing public policies to ensure the right to health.

We aim to conduct a comparative analysis of the implementation of PHC in nine South American countries. Three dimensions were highlighted from documentary sources: political commitment, leadership, and governance; care model; and engagement of communities and other stakeholders. The results indicate a formal commitment that places PHC at the center of efforts to achieve universal access. The following can be observed: revitalization processes in public subsystems, based on guaranteeing preventive, promotional, curative and rehabilitation actions; PHC as gatekeeper; emphasis on family and community; assigned population and territory; multidisciplinary teams; and, in some cases, the accent on interculturality expressed in the concept of "buen vivir" (good living). The PHC revitalization processes were affected by political changes. Between progress and setbacks, the segmentation of coverage was not overcome. The current moment seeks to recover more inclusive and broad public policies in the context of the return of the progressive and democratic fields. The dissemination of country experiences can contribute to the development of a comprehensive, integrated, and quality approach to PHC in the Region.

Population Medicine considers the following types of articles:• Research Papers -reports of data from original research or secondary dataset analyses.• Review Papers -comprehensive, authoritative, reviews within the journal's scope.These include both systematic reviews and narrative reviews.• Short Reports -brief reports of data from original research.• Policy Case Studies -brief articles on policy development at a regional or national level.• Study Protocols -articles describing a research protocol of a study.• Methodology Papers -papers that present different methodological approaches that can be used to investigate problems in a relevant scientific field and to encourage innovation.• Methodology Papers -papers that present different methodological approaches that can be used to investigate problems in a relevant scientific field and to encourage innovation.

Resumo A pandemia ressaltou novos e antigos riscos à saúde que demandam ações sanitárias e formas de apoio social. Este artigo analisou o conhecimento dos profissionais de saúde de UBSs sobre iniciativas da sociedade e dos serviços de saúde, articulados ou separadamente na promoção de saúde e apoio social a grupos vulneráveis. Partiu-se da revisão teórica sobre o conceito e sua aplicação e da análise de dados empíricos do estudo multidimensional “Desafios à APS no enfrentamento da COVID-19”, de desenho transversal, com amostra representativa das UBSs brasileiras, em nível nacional e regional. Gerou-se escore a partir de variáveis selecionadas e agregadas e estimou-se proporções de ações selecionadas e IC (95%), no Brasil e suas regiões. Ações a partir das UBSs e da população mostraram-se heterogêneas entre as regiões, sendo significativamente mais frequentes na região NE e em municípios não urbanos e de menor IDH, associando-se às ações desenvolvidas no território pelos ACS. Identificaram-se desafios, lacunas e necessidade de novas investigações; amplificação da magnitude e escopo de ações intra/intersetoriais; fortalecimento de laços entre diferentes atores e reversão dos efeitos da pandemia que aprofundaram desigualdades e iniquidades em saúde.

O enfrentamento adequado de pandemias requer forte articulação entre atenção primária à saúde (APS) e vigilância em saúde, atenção garantida às demandas agudas e crônicas e vinculação com a dimensão comunitária no âmbito das unidades básicas de saúde (UBS). O objetivo deste artigo é contrastar dois padrões extremos de desempenho da APS no enfrentamento da COVID-19 no Brasil, cotejando-os com os perfis dos respectivos municípios e características da organização dos serviços. A partir dos resultados de inquérito nacional transversal com amostra representativa das UBS, foi criado um índice sintético de desempenho da APS em relação à COVID-19, denominado CPI, composto pelos eixos de vigilância e apoio social (dimensão coletiva) e de atendimento ao paciente com COVID-19 e continuidade do cuidado (dimensão individual). Das 907 UBS pesquisadas, foram selecionadas 120, sendo a metade com os maiores índices encontrados (padrão completo) e a outra com os menores (padrão restrito). Os municípios das UBS com padrão completo são preponderantemente rurais, com baixo Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano Municipal (IDHM), alta cobertura da Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) e destacam-se na dimensão coletiva, enquanto as UBS nesse mesmo padrão situadas em municípios urbanos apresentam alto IDHM, baixa cobertura de ESF, com ênfase na dimensão individual. No padrão restrito, destaca-se a reduzida atuação de agentes comunitários de saúde no território. Na Região Nordeste, predominam UBS com padrão completo, enquanto na Sudeste preponderam UBS com padrão restrito. O estudo apresenta questões que remetem ao papel e à organização da APS na rede de cuidados em situações que requerem pronta resposta aos agravos de saúde e indica maior capacidade potencial da ESF em tais situações.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as one of the greatest challenges to societies, world health systems and science in the past century, making it imperative to restructure care networks. Therefore, it is essential to discuss the role and initiatives of primary health care (PHC) to deal with it. However, regarding the response to the pandemic, including the current global effort against COVID-19, the nuances of the rural/remote PHC context in the pandemic is barely visible. Rural and remote communities have differentiated health risks, such as socioeconomic disadvantages, difficulties in mobility and access to health services, in addition to linguistic and cultural barriers. This scoping review aimed to analyze the set of individual and collective initiatives and innovations developed to face the COVID-19 pandemic, within the PHC scope, in rural and remote areas. Methods: A scoping review methodology was applied to peer-reviewed articles. Eight databases were searched to identify scientific articles published in English, Spanish and Portuguese, initially from January 2020 to July 2021, complemented by a rapid review of articles published from January 2022 to April 2023. The main focus sought in the literature was the set of initiatives and innovations carried out within the PHC scope in rural and remote locations during the pandemic, as well as the comparison with pre-pandemic situations and between different countries. The bibliographic information of each search result was imported into Rayyan (Intelligent Systematic Review), followed by the screening and eligibility stages, performed independently by two reviewers, with a third reviewer being accessed in case of conflicts. Results: This review included 54 studies, with publications mostly from Australia, Canada, the US and India. The main PHC initiatives were related to access; to the roles of community health workers and health surveillance; and to the importance of placing, retaining and valuing human resources in health. Cultural, equity and vulnerability issues occupy a major place among the initiatives. Regarding the innovations, telehealth and customized communication are highlighted. From an organizational point of view, rural and remote locations showed enormous flexibility to deal with the pandemic and to improve intersectoral activities at the local level. The description of rurality and remoteness is practically coincident with that of the specific populations, present in geographic areas of difficult sociospatial and cultural access. Rarely, there is an index to measure rurality, or its description deals with the need to overcome distances and obstacles. Conclusion: The findings highlight and summarize knowledge about initiatives and innovations developed to face the COVID-19 pandemic, within the PHC scope in rural and remote areas in the world. This review has identified collective, clinical, intersectoral and, mainly, organizational health initiatives. An articulation between different government levels would be paramount in evaluating the implementation of policies and protocols in rural and remote locations for future sanitary crises. Innovations and lessons learned are equally relevant in strengthening health services and systems. This issue calls for considerable further exploration by new reviews and empirical research that seek evidence to assess the sustainability and effectiveness of the implemented measures to face post-pandemic difficulties and other adversities.

The pandemic highlighted new and old health risks that require health actions and social support. This study analyzed the knowledge of health professionals working in primary health care centers (PHCCs) regarding civil society and health service separately or along with health promotion and social support initiatives targeting vulnerable groups. The article begins by discussing the concept of social support and then goes on to present an analysis of empirical data from the multidimensional cross-sectional study "Challenges facing primary health care in the response to COVID-19 in the SUS", conducted using a nationally representative sample of PHCCs. Scores were calculated for selected and aggregated variables, and we calculated percentages for selected actions together with 95% confidence intervals at national and regional level. The percentage of PHCCs that supported actions and where the local community developed initiatives in the catchment area varied across regions, with rates being significantly higher in the Northeast and in non-urban municipalities with low MHDI, which was associated with actions developed in the catchment area by community health workers. The findings reveal several gaps and challenges, including the need to amplify the magnitude and scope of intra and intersectoral actions, strengthen ties between different actors, reverse the effects of the pandemic on health inequities and promote further research.

RESUMO A epidemiologia, apesar de suas origens sócio-históricas, tornou-se hegemonicamente individual, linear, com clivagens entre os hemisférios norte e sul, entre método e teoria crítica, de onde emerge a necessidade de uma epidemiologia voltada à emancipação humana. O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar de que forma a epidemiologia contra-hegemônica tem contribuído para práticas efetivas de emancipação humana na saúde pública nos diferentes níveis de justiça. Realizou-se revisão integrativa, com busca nas bases de dados PubMed, BVS, Assia, Embase e SA e análise temática e cross-case. Diante de lentes ajustadas à epidemiologia crítica, reconstituímos os tensionamentos entre as diferentes formas de emancipações política e humana, nos níveis de justiça cognitiva, socioambiental e de saúde. O primeiro nível, cognitivo, é atravessado pela razão de mundo e pelo pensamento abissal e envolve os demais. O nível socioambiental foi ancorado no metabolismo socionatural-histórico e o de saúde, angustia-se entre o bem viver e as lutas fragmentadas pelos direitos à saúde universal, frente à espoliação do setor. No enfrentamento ao modelo de acumulação de capital, devemos valorizar a interculturalidade e a subjetividade. Evidenciou-se que a ‘Epistemologia do Sul’ remete a um pensamento descolonizador, orientando metodologias capazes de potencializar descobertas bem como desmistificar as relações sociais.

The adequate fight against pandemics requires effective coordination between primary health care (PHC) and health surveillance, guaranteed attention to acute and chronic demands, and a bond with the community dimension in the scope of basic health units (UBS, acronym in Portuguese). This study aims to contrast two extreme standards of PHC performance in the fight against COVID-19 in Brazil, comparing them with the profiles of the corresponding municipalities and characteristics of the organization of services. Based on the results of a cross-sectional national survey with a representative sample of UBSs, we created a synthetic index to evaluate how PHC performs against COVID-19 called CPI, composed of axes of health surveillance and social support (collective dimension) and of COVID-19 care and continuity of care (individual dimension). Of the 907 surveyed UBSs, 120 were selected, half of which had the highest indexes (complete standard) and the other half, the lowest ones (restricted standard). The municipalities of the UBSs with a complete standard are predominantly rural, have low Municipal Health Development Index (MHDI), high Family Health Strategy (FHS) coverage, and stand out in the collective dimension, whereas the UBSs in urban municipalities with this same standard have high MHDI, low FHS coverage, and an emphasis on the individual dimension. In the restricted standard, we highlight community health workers’ reduced work in the territory. In the Brazilian Northeast, UBSs with complete standard predominate, whereas, in its Southeast, UBSs with restricted standard predominate. The study poses questions that refer to the role and organization of PHC in the health care network under situations that require prompt response to health issues and indicates the greater potential capacity of the FHS program in such situations.