Brazil

Healthcare System

“Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is a fundamental human right and the attainment of the highest possible level of health is one of the most important worldwide social goals, requiring for it’s achievement, the action of many other social and economic sectors in addition to the health sector.”

Sistema Único de Saúde

SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde / Unified Health System):

In 1986, during the VIII National Health Conference, among the discussions about health in Brazil, many organizations, including users and workers in health, political representations, students, among others, proposed, discussed and defined a new way to assist health in Brazil.

Health discussion in the VIII National Health Conference: It is widely accepted that health is the result of adequate conditions of nutrition, housing, environment, income, work, transportation, employment, leisure, freedom, land and an adequate health system. In 1988 our constitution defines the Unified Health System as a group of actions and health services offered by public institutions and some private associated institutions.

Principles of SUS:

• Universality: Health is considered a right for every citizen and the Municipal, State and Federal governments are responsible for it.
• Equality: Everyone has equal rights in SUS. Health attention should be adequate to each reality.
• Integrality: The aims of health actions should involve prevention, promotion, cure and rehabilitation of health. The Human Being must be understood as a whole.
• Social Control: Guarantee of social participation in the main definitions of the Health System.
• Regionalization: Division of health attention in primary, secondary and high level care in accordance with population needs.
• Decentralization: Responsabilization of the different levels of the government (municipal, regional and federal)

Currency

• Brazilian real

Food

Brazilian cuisine is characterized by European, Amerindian, African, and most recently Asian (mostly Japanese) influences. It varies greatly by region, reflecting the country’s mix of native and immigrant populations, and its continental size as well. This has created a national cuisine marked by the preservation of regional differences.

Popular dishes in Brazil are :

• Rice and beans

It is an extremely popular dish, considered basic at table; a tradition Brazil shares with several Caribbean nations. Brazilian rice and beans usually are cooked utilizing either lard or the nowadays more common edible vegetable fats and oils, in a variation of the Mediterranean sofrito locally called refogado which usually includes garlic in both recipes.

• In variation to rice and beans, Brazilians usually eat pasta (including spaghetti, lasagne, yakisoba, lamen, and bīfun), pasta salad, various dishes using either potato or manioc, and polenta as substitutions for rice, as well as salads, dumplings or soups of green peas, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, broad beans, butter beans, soybeans, lentils, moyashi (which came to Brazil due to the Japanese tradition of eating its sprouts), azuki, and other legumes in substitution for the common beans cultivated in South America.
• Either way the basis of Brazilian daily cuisine is the starch (most often a cereal), legume, protein and vegetable combination. There is also a differentiation between vegetables of the verduras group, or greens, and the legumes group (no relation to the botanic concept), or non-green vegetables.
• Salgadinhos are small savoury snacks (literally salties). Similar to Spanish tapas, these are mostly sold in corner shops and a staple at working class and lower middle-class familiar celebrations. There are many types of pastries:
• Pão de queijo (literally “cheese bread”), a typical Brazilian snack, is a small, soft roll made of manioc flour, eggs, milk, and minas cheese. It can be bought ready-made at a corner store or frozen and ready to bake in a supermarket and is gluten-free.
• Coxinha is a chicken croquette shaped like a chicken thigh.
• Kibe/Quibe: extremely popular, it corresponds to the Lebanese dish kibbeh and was brought to mainstream Brazilian culture by Syrian and Lebanese immigrants. It can be served baked, fried, or raw.
• Esfiha: another Middle Eastern dish, despite being a more recent addition to Brazilian cuisine they are nowadays easily found everywhere, specially in Northeastern, Southern and Southeastern regions. They are pies/cakes with fillings like beef, mutton, cheese curd, or seasoned vegetables.
• Pastéis are pastries with a wide variety of fillings. Similar to Spanish fried Empanadas but of Japanese origin (and brought to Brazil by the Japanese diaspora). Different shapes are used to tell apart the different flavours, the two most common shapes being half-moon (cheese) and square (meat). Size, flavour, and shape may vary greatly.
• Empadas are snacks that resemble pot pies in a small scale. Filled with a mix of palm hearts, peas, flour and chicken or shrimp.

Transportation

• Brazil Taxis and Car Rental

Taxis are a common form of transportation for tourists in Brazil. Generally speaking, they are safe, reliable and very inexpensive (except in Sao Paulo). In Sao Paulo, Call Taxi Sao Paulo (+55-11-5071-6560) is perfect for getting to and from the airport. In Rio de Janeiro, Barca Taxi Praca XV (+55-21-2224-5713) is among the largest taxi companies in the city. All taxis, unless illegal, use meters, but don’t expect similar fares across the board, as rates change from city to city.

Car rental is possible, but is not the most convenient method of transportation. Companies are located at major airports, and usually offer pre-booking options. This is essential during the peak season (between December and February). Roads aren’t always well maintained, and drivers in Brazil are not known for their caution.

• Brazil Water Taxis

Even though water taxis and ferries are not found throughout all of Brazil, the Amazon region and the western coastal area around Sao Luis rely heavily on boat transport to get around. It is even possible to take a boat up the Amazon River and its tributaries to reach Peru or Venezuela. These rides are usually long and slow, but are relatively inexpensive.

• Brazil Trains and Buses

Train services are generally non-existent in Brazil, except for a few overland train connections. From Curitiba to Paranagua there is a train link called the Serra Verde Express. However, it is more a tourist attraction than a commuter train, as bilingual guides and beautiful scenic views add an interesting flavor to the tourist-friendly journey.

Inner-city buses are found in most large towns and cities across Brazil. However, the system is not designed for convenience and there are many companies operating making it confusing. Maps and routes are sometimes hard to find, so asking the conductor once on board or a local while waiting, are the best ways to figure out where the bus is going. Buses have a route number on the front window, but stops are not well marked and at times, do not stop after being waived down by patrons. On the plus side, they are very cheap if you want to take your chances.

Unlike inner-city buses, Brazil’s inter-city bus network is quite impressive. Even though some roads between cities are difficult to pass at times, buses can be the best way to get from one destination to the next. Most cities have at least one bus terminal where tickets can be purchased and online and phone ticketing services are also available from some of the larger bus companies. Visitors are recommended to get either Executive or First Class tickets; even though they are more expensive the comforts are worth it. Expresso Brazil and Macanese are two of the more reputable companies offering affordable travel in Brazil.

EXCHANGE CONDITION

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