Lights and shadows on the territory. Reflections on the planning performed by the PAHO/WHO in Latin America

Abstract

The impact of social-environmental variants, of location and of mobility factors is a problem that demands an analysis of health according to a territorial approach, in an attempt not only to locate the health-disease processes but also to understand their mutual relations. The study investigates the various proposals of the PAHO / WHO that guided the design of the health policy in Latin America and the Caribbean in the last six decades, highlighting their contributions and shortcomings to reflect on the territorial issue, and referring to the policies implemented in Argentina and Brazil. The study sheds light on the notions of territory implied in these proposals and on the role that each one of them gives to the actors, showing the need to build a dialogue between health policy, geography and policy analysis.