BACKGROUND:
The restructuring of the Brazilian Ministry of Health1 in November 2025 created a new Coordination within the Department of Health Promotion at the Secretariat of Primary Health Care: the Coordination of Bodily Practices and Physical Activity in Primary Health Care (Copaf). Bodily Practices and Physical Activity have been a strategic health promotion agenda in the Unified Health System (SUS) since the institutionalisation of the National Health Promotion Policy (PNPS)2 in 2006. In recent years, these actions have become consolidated as structuring elements of Primary Health Care in Brazil, accompanied by a significant increase in the registration3 of bodily practices and physical activities.

METHODS:
This institutional case study4 adopts a qualitative, analytical-descriptive approach to analyse the process of establishing a Coordination focused on health promotion within the SUS. The analysis was guided by frameworks from health promotion, and collective health, and was based on official documents, administrative records, and regulatory frameworks.

RESULTS:
The decree1 creating Copaf strengthened federal technical leadership in bodily practices and physical activity. This process resulted in the formal institutionalisation of these PNPS priority themes within the organisational structure of the Ministry of Health and clarified institutional responsibilities. The establishment of Copaf required organisational efforts, including the institutionalisation of management processes, updating internal regulations, and developing the technical capacity of the coordination team. Copaf subsequently strengthened its capacity for planning, monitoring, and evaluating bodily practices and physical activity within the SUS, including the preparation of annual management reports5 and the systematisation of results related to federal actions and resource allocation.

CONCLUSIONS:
The establishment of Copaf represents a significant advancement in health promotion within the SUS, strengthening governance, policy coherence, and technical leadership to promote inclusive policies and practices in global health. Further analyses are needed to assess implementation challenges and longer-term outcomes.