The population slave descendents in the North of Minas Gerais: invisibility, inequalities, and denial of access to the public health system

Abstract

Although the 1988 Constitution determines the citizenry inclusion of the slave descendent population, including title to land and the inclusion into the Sistema Único de Saúde (Single Health System - SUS), establishing the right to health care, these have not yet been carried out for the whole of the Brazilian population. Surveys show that the black population has less access to health care than the white population. The article relates the health care situation of two slave-descendent communities in the North of Minas Gerais. One of the communities is served by a team of Saúde da Família (Family Health Care Plan), but the inhabitants of another one need to follow long tracks to have access to a health care unit. These communities have still not received title and live under constant threat of local regional farmers. Land disputes, lack of technical assistance for crops and the absence of policies to generate income leave the communities at risk for food and socially. The absence of government in the proposal for effective action for access to health care has left the communities outside the SUS, invisibility which increases the obstacles for inclusion.