British News Agency

Brazilian President Lula da Silva said the country's public health system, SUS, provides millions of people with access to healthcare, adding that the system had been weakened in the previous period but had been strengthened again under his administration.

Lula said the Farmácia Popular program had been relaunched and strengthened and that 41 products are now provided free of charge to the entire population. He noted that more than 27 million people benefited from the program in 2025 alone.

Lula also said the number of healthcare professionals in the Mais Médicos program had increased, rising from 13,700 in December 2022 to 26,700.

Providing information on children's vaccination rates, Lula said the number of children who had not even received the first dose of the pentavalent vaccine fell from 360,000 to 50,000 between 2023 and 2025. Lula stated that the highest vaccination rate in the past nine years was achieved during this period and that Brazil was no longer on UNICEF's list of countries with the lowest performance in childhood vaccination.

Lula said capacity in oral and dental health services had also been expanded, with the number of Oral Health Teams reaching 35,000 as of July 2026, representing a 24 percent increase compared with 2022. He added that Mobile Dental Units had been put back into service and that the goal was to have 1,300 mobile units operating across the country's five regions by the end of 2026.

Lula said 15 million elective surgeries were performed under SUS in 2025, a historic record representing a 50 percent increase compared with 2022. He also said the number of consultations and teleconsultations increased from 13 million in 2022 to 31 million in 2025.

Regarding Samu's ambulance fleet, Lula said more than 3,300 ambulances had been delivered across the country.

Lula also said domestic production in the healthcare sector had been strengthened, with efforts underway to manufacture medicines, vaccines and medical supplies used under SUS in Brazil. He said insulin production had resumed in the country after a 20-year hiatus.

In the field of women's health, Lula said more than 8 million mammograms had been carried out since 2023 and that more than 1.8 million Implanon contraceptive units had been distributed.

Lula said construction of 2,600 Basic Health Units was being supported under the new PAC, while 105 linear accelerators had been purchased to modernize radiotherapy services for cancer treatment. He added that the goal was for every Brazilian state to have a radiotherapy treatment center in 2026.

Lula also said SUS had reached the highest budget in its history, with funding increasing by more than 70 percent compared with 2022.

Looking ahead, Lula said policies for the aging population would be a priority, with the goal of increasing older people's access to healthcare, autonomy, social life, leisure and sports. He added that home care services would also be expanded, noting that the Home Care Program for the Elderly (PADI Brasil) was being implemented in 2,655 municipalities and would be expanded nationwide.

Lula said Community Hospitals for the Elderly would also be established, stressing that aging is a social achievement and that the state must prepare for this process.