SasiSUS Decent Living System – Ministry of Health

The Special Secretariat for Indigenous Health (Sesai) launched on Monday (29) the first phase of the Indigenous Health Symposium: SasiSUS for a Good Living. The activity, which will last until August 1, will initially include discussions on the specificities of the Northeast region.

The symposium is divided into six thematic axes, and will address issues relevant to public institutions, indigenous organizations, provincial councilors, managers, health professionals and users, as well as strengthening the struggle for an indigenous health system that integrates ancestral knowledge and care.

At the end of the four activity days, a guidance document will be prepared containing the directions for this phase. It is expected that by the end of November, the remaining phases will be completed in the North, South, South-East and Central-West regions.

For Sesai Secretary Weibe Tapeba, holding the symposium is essential: “The Indigenous Health Subsystem (SasiSUS) needs to be improved. We hope that, over the next few days, we will be able to generate valuable inputs. This is the first event that brings together collaborators, managers and guardians of ancestral knowledge,” he noted. “Based on our discussions, we will build together a more inclusive, participatory and, above all, intercultural system that respects the particularities shared by cultures.”

Melina Caninde, head of the Sesai task force, emphasized that after each symposium, a new document with regional specificities will be issued. Ultimately, this information will be consolidated into a single guidance document for the implementation of the SasiSUS updates, with the aim of improving the National Policy for Health Care for Indigenous Peoples (PNASPI). “This symposium represents an important milestone for the Ministry of Health, and without a doubt, including the evaluation and expansion of the use of indigenous medicines is one of the main points,” he explained.

Butera Sakuena, Director of the Indigenous Health Care Department at Sesay, stressed that indigenous medicines are deeply rooted in ancestral wisdom. For her, these techniques represent a legacy. “We need to listen to the actors to build more specific healthcare and integrate it into the existing system. Our goal is to promote more comprehensive and diverse health, recognizing and respecting the different forms of knowledge that contribute to the integrated well-being of communities.”

The symposium addresses issues relevant to institutions, indigenous organizations, district councilors, managers, health professionals and users (Photo: Luis Oliveira/Sesay)

Learn about the thematic topics:

1. Clarification of indigenous health systems: It seeks to promote indigenous medicine and integrate it into the SUS healthcare network, in addition to creating the National Indigenous Medicine Program.
2. National Indigenous Sanitation Program: Discussion on the establishment of this program and the expansion of Indigenous sanitation concepts and procedures, in line with the National Indigenous Health Care Policy.
3. Model of care and organization of health services: It is proposed to unify proposals for organizing the model and services of health care in accordance with the macro-regional characteristics of DSEI.
4. Social determinants of health: Seeks to identify strategies for collaboration and expression to address the determinants and conditions of indigenous health and extreme weather events.
5. Labor management and health education: Discussion on teaching and work management methodologies in accordance with the regional and cultural diversity of indigenous peoples.
6. Social control, participatory management and financing: Proposal to discuss the structural needs for SasiSUS funding and the importance of social control and participatory management in agreements and deliberations between federations, based on their mandates.

Lydian Souza
Ministry of Health