Contingency plans and state coordination in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The article analyzes the role of the states in coordinating the response of the Unified Health System (SUS) to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is documentary research based on the twenty-six state contingency plans, published between February 2020 and October 2021. The state governments acted in most of the dimensions analyzed: coordination of the health emergency, federative articulation, regulation, technical support, communication, integrated planning, service provision, financing and cooperation. The results suggest the leading role of state governments in the management of the SUS, with emphasis on the search for integration, alignment and cooperation between the sectors involved, as well as for decision-making based on scientific guidance and evidence. In a context of polarization and federative dispute, the state experience valued federative autonomy, cooperative character and institutional capacities in the SUS.