Remembering Alma-Ata: challenges and innovations in primary health care in a middle-income city in Latin America

The year 2018 is an opportune time to explore health system reforms and primary health care (PHC) in Brazil, given the anniversaries of the Alma-Ata Declaration (40 years) and of the Constitution of Brazil (30 years), the basis of the Unified Health System (SUS). In this context, health system analysis in the municipal setting is an important instrument for acknowledging achievements and innovations, as well as weaknesses and threats. Due to the principle of decentralization of SUS, municipalities have assumed a leadership role in health policy development and implementation. The cities also come first in expressing the failures of the health system and the consequences of austerity measures. Thus, analysis of health system transformations at the municipal level are fundamental to studying PHC achievements and gaps. This report identifies the challenges and innovations of PHC implementation in Curitiba, beginning with a brief history of the city's health system development. The city was a pioneer in linking urban planning with health system design, improving access to health care, and obtaining better health outcomes over the past 30 years. This report covers those years, as well as the challenges and strategies implemented during the most recent political cycle (2013 – 2016). There are substantial lessons that can be garnered from the experience of this middle-income city in Latin America, lessons that may be useful as the region moves toward the Sustainable Development Goal of Universal Health Coverage by 2030.