Ethical-political care and neoliberal logic: Lived experiences of health leaders and professionals in vulnerable territories

Abstract

This article addresses the production of care in health as a tool for confronting neoliberal logic, especially in Family Health Strategy practices. The study, employing a qualitative approach and conducted in a municipality of the Baixada Santista region with community leaders and health professionals, analyzes the senses and meanings of care production within the Strategy, based on the experiences of community leaders and health professionals in the mangrove areas of Cubatão (SP), a context marked by the advance of exclusionary neoliberal policies. It points to the influence of outsourcing in the health sector, highlighting the populations’ difficulties of access and the intensification of the productivist logic. In contrast, affectivity emerges as a pillar for critical reflections on care, giving rise to the notion of ethical-political care – a notion aligned with the principles of the Unified Health System, emphasizing the importance of the struggle for rights, the promotion of solidarity and a sense of community, and ultimately contributing to the fight against the commodification of health and social injustices.