Qualifica-APS: Integration of Training, Workforce Provision, and Institutional Support to Strengthen Primary Health Care in Espírito Santo, Brazil
1
1 Capixaba Institute for Education, Research and Innovation in Health, Espírito Santo State Department of Health, Vitória, Brazil
2
2 Postgraduate Program in Public Health, Federal University of Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1845
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Primary Health Care (PHC) is internationally recognized as the cornerstone of public health systems. In Brazil, challenges such as territorial inequalities, high workforce turnover, training gaps, and the discontinuity of federal policies have hindered the consolidation of this level of care. In this context, the state of Espírito Santo implemented the State Program for the Qualification of Primary Health Care (Qualifica-APS), aiming to strengthen PHC through the integration of in-service training, health workforce recruitment, and institutional support for local governance.
METHODS:
This is a descriptive-analytical study with qualitative and quantitative components, based on a structured report of an innovative public health policy experience. Institutional documents, monitoring reports, administrative records from official health information systems, and PHC performance indicators from 2019 to 2025 were analyzed. The experience was examined according to its structural components, territorial coverage, pedagogical strategies, and effects on work processes and health indicators.
RESULTS:
Qualifica-APS is built upon three synergistic pillars: workforce provision and retention, health residency programs, and institutional support. The initiative reaches 69 municipalities, with approximately 1,200 professionals working in around 590 PHC teams. There was a significant expansion in population empanelment, growth in the number of teams, and substantial improvement in health care indicators, particularly those related to prenatal care, chronic condition management, and work process organization. Institutional support contributed to strengthening local management, enhancing integration across care networks, and increasing federal PHC funding.
CONCLUSIONS:
Qualifica-APS represents an innovative and sustainable strategy for strengthening PHC by integrating training, management, and care within a territorial framework. The experience demonstrates strong scalability potential and contributes to the international debate on Permanent Health Education, workforce development, and the consolidation of universal public health systems.
Primary Health Care (PHC) is internationally recognized as the cornerstone of public health systems. In Brazil, challenges such as territorial inequalities, high workforce turnover, training gaps, and the discontinuity of federal policies have hindered the consolidation of this level of care. In this context, the state of Espírito Santo implemented the State Program for the Qualification of Primary Health Care (Qualifica-APS), aiming to strengthen PHC through the integration of in-service training, health workforce recruitment, and institutional support for local governance.
METHODS:
This is a descriptive-analytical study with qualitative and quantitative components, based on a structured report of an innovative public health policy experience. Institutional documents, monitoring reports, administrative records from official health information systems, and PHC performance indicators from 2019 to 2025 were analyzed. The experience was examined according to its structural components, territorial coverage, pedagogical strategies, and effects on work processes and health indicators.
RESULTS:
Qualifica-APS is built upon three synergistic pillars: workforce provision and retention, health residency programs, and institutional support. The initiative reaches 69 municipalities, with approximately 1,200 professionals working in around 590 PHC teams. There was a significant expansion in population empanelment, growth in the number of teams, and substantial improvement in health care indicators, particularly those related to prenatal care, chronic condition management, and work process organization. Institutional support contributed to strengthening local management, enhancing integration across care networks, and increasing federal PHC funding.
CONCLUSIONS:
Qualifica-APS represents an innovative and sustainable strategy for strengthening PHC by integrating training, management, and care within a territorial framework. The experience demonstrates strong scalability potential and contributes to the international debate on Permanent Health Education, workforce development, and the consolidation of universal public health systems.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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