Analytical capacity as a critical condition for responding to COVID-19 in Brazil

Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed several challenges to the Brazilian health system, among them the general context of ambiguity and uncertainty and the conflicting positioning of the government in power concerning scientific advice resources. Different aspects can be a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy & society 2023-03, Vol.42 (1), p.117-130
Main Authors: Koga, Natália Massaco, Palotti, Pedro Lucas de Moura, de Miranda Marques Pontes, Pedro Arthur, do Couto, Bruno Gontyjo, Soares, Marcos Luiz Vieira
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Control
Epidemics
Medical care
Medical policy
Policy sciences
Public health administration
Social science research
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Summary:Abstract The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic posed several challenges to the Brazilian health system, among them the general context of ambiguity and uncertainty and the conflicting positioning of the government in power concerning scientific advice resources. Different aspects can be analyzed to explore the dynamics of strengthening and resilience of the system. This paper focuses on its analytical capacity, examining how it was developed and recently challenged. The investigation employed survey data, analysis of official documents and newspaper articles, and in-depth interviews with specialists and federal bureaucrats. The research shows the magnitude and relevance of that dimension of policy capacity in the federal health system and how it was crucial to the resilience of the system in defining the directions of the fight against COVID-19 in Brazil, although scientific-based recommendations were rejected by political leaders.
ISSN:1449-4035
1839-3373
1839-3373
DOI:10.1093/polsoc/puac028