The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of health surveillance (HS) systems and practices, presenting the challenge of analyzing and improving HS models and strategies in various countries around the world and, especially, in the Brazilian Unified Health System.

To tackle this challenge, the scientific community of the Public Health field sought to conduct interdisciplinary research projects on this phenomenon, while the CNS, CEBES and Abrasco articulated the creation of the Front for Life (FPV), which developed the National COVID-19 Pandemic Confrontation Plan¹1 ABRASCO, Cebes, Rede Unida, Abres, Abrasme, Abrastt, Aben, SBV, SBB, CNS, SBMT, Sobrasp, RMMP, ABMMD, SBMFC. Plano Nacional de enfrentamento à pandemia da COVID-19 [Internet]. 2020. [acessado 2021 jun 6]. Disponível em: https://frentepelavida.org.br/uploads/documentos/PEP-COVID-19_v3_01_12_20.pdf
https://frentepelavida.org.br/uploads/do... and maintained an active resistance to the negationism and disregard with which the Federal Government treated the health crisis.

Starting in 2020, researchers from the Institute of Public Health (IPH) at UFBA sought to develop research, seminars, lectures, and debates, in order to collaborate in the production and dissemination of information and adoption of practices to contain the spread of the virus and improve the quality of care. Thus, the IPH promoted weekly sessions of “IPH at home,” and implemented the ObservaCovid on the OAPS website (https://observacovid.analisepoliticaemsaude.org/) with dissemination of partial results of the project entitled “Analysis of health surveillance models and strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The various subprojects include the comparative analysis of the response of health systems in several countries to COVID-19, the analysis of the Brazilian Federal Government’s action and the role of FPV in the face of the pandemic, as well as the study of health surveillance actions in the context of primary health care and hospital care in the SUS in several municipalities in the country. It also conducted studies on the adherence of the population to practices and equipment for prevention of COVID-19 and the forms of communication about the pandemic disseminated on the social networks.

This thematic issue of the Ciência e Saúde Coletiva journal contains articles derived from this project, which, together with articles submitted by researchers from other centers, provide an overview of what occurred in Brazil and other countries, in terms of reorganization of actions and health services to face the COVID-19 pandemic, lessons to be learned and recommendations of practices to be incorporated into the process of Health Reform and reconstruction of the SUS²2 Paim JS, Almeida Filho N, Reis C. Reforma sanitária em perspectiva e o SUS. In: Paim JS, Almeida-Filho N, organizadores. Saúde coletiva: teoria e prática. Rio de Janeiro: Medbook; 2023. p. 203-210..

Thus, we stress the importance of implementing a comprehensive health surveillance model, which includes intersectoral actions to promote health, control and mitigate the effects of social determinants of diseases and health problems of the population, and specific actions at the various levels of care of the SUS, with emphasis on consolidating primary care that is effective. It must also be proactive in the organization of territorialized networks of health services and health communication actions that contribute to the consolidation of a health system based on attributing value to scientific knowledge and the recognition of the universal right to health, in defense of democracy and the guarantee of a dignified life for all Brazilians.

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