Conference debates the future of public health in Teresópolis The 16th Municipal Health Conference of Teresópolis, in the Serrana Region of Rio, approved proposals aimed at strengthening the Unified Health System (SUS) in the municipality. Among the measures are actions to expand access to health services, reinforce popular participation, address the impacts of climate change and increase transparency in the application of public resources. The meeting brought together health professionals, representatives of public authorities and civil society to discuss the main challenges facing the municipal network and define guidelines that can guide the planning of public policies. Among the topics discussed were the increase in cases of tuberculosis and syphilis among women, the impacts of floods and precarious housing on the population's health and the relationship between social vulnerability, environmental degradation and diseases such as tuberculosis and leprosy. ? Follow the g1 Região Serrana channel on WhatsApp. The event brought together professionals, representatives of public authorities and civil society. Juliana Guzzo/g1 Participants also discussed so-called environmental racism and the effects of territorial inequalities on health. One of the approved proposals provides for the population to have access to health services, including medical and hospital care, in the territory where they live, through public policies adapted to the needs of each region. In the area of ??health surveillance, the conference proposed strengthening actions to prevent and control zoonoses, with the incorporation of veterinarians into the public network. Measures were also approved to strengthen social control of the SUS, such as the creation or reactivation of Local Health Councils and Local User Committees, in addition to encouraging greater population participation in decisions about health policy. Another proposal is to increase management transparency, through the creation of a public panel with information on budget, financial execution, contracts, tenders, transfers and parliamentary amendments. Climate change was also among the main themes of the conference. Participants defended the creation of permanent education and prevention actions, in addition to integration between the departments of Health, Civil Defense, Social Assistance, Environment and Education to combat extreme events. It was also proposed to create an Integrated Socio-Environmental and Health Vulnerability Map of the Mountain Region, bringing together information on risk areas, health conditions of the population and communities in vulnerable situations. Strengthening Primary Care was highlighted as a priority, with suggestions to expand preventive actions, active search for patients, home visits, decentralized care and monitoring of areas with greater difficulty in accessing health services. Among the motions presented are the increase in the number of psychologists, nutritionists, physical educators, veterinarians, technicians, community health agents and agents to combat endemic diseases. Participants also defended the increase in the provision of psychological care to victims of the 2011 climate tragedy. Another proposal envisages the inclusion, in the patient registry, of information about people affected by natural disasters, with the aim of creating a database to guide specific public policies. The conference also approved proposals for the creation of a Pain Clinic, a Geriatrics Center, a Palliative Care service and the implementation of a municipal physiotherapy service. Sanitary doctor Edneia Martuchelli, executive secretary of the 16th Teresópolis Municipal Health Conference, highlighted the importance of popular participation in the construction of public policies. "The Conference is essential for us to build a more democratic health system in the city that meets the needs of residents", he stated. New Municipal Health Council During the conference, the new representatives of the Municipal Health Council and the delegates who will represent Teresópolis at the State Health Conference were also defined. The event was attended by representatives of civil society institutions, churches, the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB), residents' associations, health professionals and municipal departments. The approved proposals will be forwarded to the next stages of discussion and will be able to guide the planning of public health policies in the municipality, with a focus on expanding access to services, popular participation and preparing the network to face social, environmental and climate impacts.