THE HEALTH OF WORKERS IN THE UNIFIED HEALTH SYSTEM: NETWORK ORGANIZATION, SURVEILLANCE, AND PRIMARY CARE ACTIONS

Abstract

Work is a central determinant of the health-disease process, representing a source of fulfillment or illness. In Brazil, worker's health has been incorporated into the Unified Health System (SUS) as a social right, articulating assistance, surveillance, and health promotion actions. This article aims to review the literature on the organization of the care network, worker's health surveillance, and the role of Primary Health Care in the SUS. This is a qualitative literature review, conducted in national and international databases, using descriptors related to worker's health, SUS, health surveillance, and Primary Care, combined with Boolean operators. The results indicate that worker's health surveillance has a consistent normative framework, highlighting the National Network for Comprehensive Worker's Health Care and the role of Worker's Health Reference Centers in providing technical support to Primary Care teams. Primary Health Care occupies a strategic position in identifying the link between work and illness, in reporting health problems, and in providing longitudinal care to workers, especially through the work of family and community physicians. Despite regulatory advances, challenges persist related to the fragmentation of practices, underreporting, and professional qualification, highlighting the need to strengthen Primary Health Care and Occupational Health Surveillance for the effective implementation of comprehensive care within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS).