Epidemiology in health policies, programs, and services in Brazil: The trajectories and perspectives from ABRASCO’s Fifth Strategic Plan for the Development of Epidemiology in Brazil (2025–2029)

Abstract

Objective: To critically summarize the key topics addressed by the working group “Epidemiology in Health Policies, Programs, and Services” during the development of the Fifth Strategic Plan for the Development of Epidemiology in Brazil (2025–2029), led by the Brazilian Association of Collective Health. Methods: A historical-contextual analysis was conducted, based on an analytical and comparative review of institutional documents, including previous versions of the Master Plans, scientific literature, and experiences accumulated within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). Results: The main themes identified were the limitations and potentialities of national health information systems, the challenges related to the production of reliable and high-quality data; the dilemmas involved in training epidemiologists with strong social and political commitments; the need to expand the scope of public health surveillance; the importance of equity-oriented evaluation processes; and the role of intersectoral and territorial articulation in strengthening the field. These discussions were framed within the context of Brazil’s demographic, socioeconomic, and political-institutional transformations, highlighting the relevance of critical and ethical epidemiology committed to human rights. Conclusion: The Master Plans have played a strategic role in articulating science, policy, and practice, thereby consolidating epidemiology as a field of practice, a critical science, and a tool for social transformation. The Fifth Strategic Plan for the Development of Epidemiology in Brazil (2025–2029) emphasizes the necessity of innovative and intersectional approaches to overcoming structural inequalities, inequities, and forms of oppression. This contributes to strengthening the SUS and consolidating an ethical, critical, and socially committed epidemiology.