Brasília, August 12, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Family Health Program (PSF) will receive US$ 550 million over a six year period. Half will come from the World Bank (IBRD) and half from the federal government. The goal is to benefit 240 municipalities, each with more than 100 thousand inhabitants.

In an interview with Radiobrás, the Minister of Health, Humberto Costa, said that each municipality will present a specific project to meet its needs. "Some municipalities need resources to built new health posts for the Family Health Program. Others need resources to train staff. Others need to set up specialized services," he explained. The funds may also be used to acquire medical and odontological equipment, vehicles, and laboratories.

According to the Minister, 50 million Brazilians are currently served by the PSF's 37 thousand teams. The plan is to expand coverage to include a total of 100 million people by 2006, while reducing the number of teams to 34 thousand. During the initial phase, 96 municipalities, which have already presented specific plans to the Ministry of Health, should be benefitted. R$ 68 million should be invested in these localities by the end of the year.

Minister Costa recalled that the Family Health Program seeks to prevent serious diseases by acting to combat problems when they are still minor. "The program tries to accompany children throughout their process of growth, the elderly, and people with hypertension or diabetes. It is a program that works basically in the prevention and identification of the simplest problems. And these are 85% of the problems that appear in a community." (DAS)