Brazil launches R$1bn primary care investment programme
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Brazil has launched the first phase of a primary care investment programme, the ongoing funding of which will be tied to the delivery of new coverage, service quality and outcomes standards. The so-called “programme for the improvement of access and quality in primary care” (PMAQ-AB) has been given ringfenced funding of just over R$1bn (US$607,000m) to the end of 2012: R$104m in 2011 and R$900m in 2012. Up to 17,600 primary care units are to be established during the first phase of the programme and, depending on their performance, will each receive up to R$8,500 per month to reinvest directly in service accessibility and quality. The government has yet to draw up the specific quality indicators it will use to measure performance.