Intersectoriality: The ongoing debate or international healthcare conferences

This work reflects upon the strategy of intersectoriality between varying sectors public, as defined by international conferences that promote health and primary care related issues.  The international conference, Alma-Ata, emphasized the importance of intersectoriality, defining it as the cooperation and participation of many sectors geared toward assuring healthcare for all people. Accordingly, the new concept of health, defined as a complete state of physical, social and mental well being, can only be attained if the healthcare practices are expanded beyond the healthcare sector to include participation and cooperation between varying sectors.  International conferences that promote health related issues (Ottawa Conference, Adelaide Conference, Sundsvall Conference and the Bangkok Conference) stress the importance of intersectoriality as means of overcoming traditional barriers present in the public sector. Creating sustainable strategies and practices is the objective of the formation of partnerships between various sectors.   From these conferences, however, it is also possible to ascertain that the attainment of healthcare for all utilizing the strategy of cooperation of various public sectors is based upon principles that can be considered quite Utopist when considered in the present day context of social inequalities, violence, and precarious economic and workforce conditions in heralded by the advancement of neoliberal ideology.  In the case of Latin-American countries  that have been marked historically by misery and extreme social inequalities, we now contend with new conditions of social exclusion and the generalized precariousness and uncertainty present in many social sectors. Thus, the concept of and any subsequent attempt to implement strategies based intersectoriality and participation of various public sectors must be considered in the specific contexts and realities of these countries.