Territorial inequality and challenges for equity in the distribution of ophthalmologists in Brazil in 2024: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

he study aimed to analyze the spatial distribution of ophthalmologists in Brazil, in 2024, considering different geographic regions and professional practices. This cross-sectional study was based on secondary data from the National Registry of Health Establishments (CNES), from June 2024, and the 2022 Demographic Census, from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). A total of 19,974 ophthalmologists were identified, affiliated with public and private healthcare institutions nationwide, representing a density of one specialist for every 10,167 inhabitants. In the public healthcare system, 10,534 ophthalmologists were registered, representing a density of one for every 19,279 inhabitants. Approximately 8,000 ophthalmologists worked full time (40 hours per week). Of the country’s 440 healthcare regions, 24 had no ophthalmologists. At the municipal level, only 1,307 of the 5,570 Brazilian municipalities (23.5%) had at least one ophthalmologist, accounting for 74.6% of the national population. It follows that, although the public system concentrates the largest number of professionals, the density of specialists per inhabitant was significantly lower than that observed in the general scenario. The distribution of ophthalmologists in Brazil highlights a situation of regional inequality, which is intensified in the public health sector.