Convivial Populations: Ivan Illich and Public Health in the 21st Century.

Ivan Illich (1926-2002) was a historian, social critic, and professor at multiple universities. He came to intellectual fame through his criticisms of modern institutions, including health care, and his concern with social structures that he believed to impede human flourishing. However, Illich has not been thoroughly explored as a source of insight for public health professionals. Although he populates the medical and public health literature, discourse remains sparse about how Illich might contribute to key conversations in public health today. In this article, I explore Illich's potential contributions to modern public health through one of his seminal works, Tools for Conviviality. I frame Illich as a valuable conversational partner for public health professionals at a crucial moment in the field's history. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(7):723-728. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307675).

[Alexander Grigoryevich Lyutkevich - a prominent figure in Russian ophthalmology and public health. (On the 155th anniversary of his birth)]. / Aleksandr Grigor'evich Lyutkevich ­ vidnyi deyatel' otechestvennoi oftal'mologii i zdravookhraneniya. (K 155-letiyu so dnya rozhdeniya).

This article, composed using literary sources and archival materials, is dedicated to the 155th anniversary of Alexander Grigoryevich Lyutkevich - a prominent Russian ophthalmologist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries (12.09.1867-18.04.1928) and one of the founders of the Voronezh Medical Institute. The paper traces the main stages of his biography, notes his work in rapid-reaction emergency care units, and pays attention to his teaching activities. The importance of Lyutkevich's doctoral dissertation on the treatment of high myopia is emphasized. The article also highlights his important role as editor of the classic textbook "Course of eye diseases" by A.A. Kryukov. In Lyutkevich's public activities, his contribution to the establishment of the Society of Ophthalmologists in Moscow is particularly noteworthy. Lyutkevich's high organizational skills are highlighted, which were clearly manifested in the Yuriev University and in the creation of the medical faculty of the Voronezh University.

"One of the Grand Works of the World": Walt Whitman's Advocacy for the Brooklyn Waterworks, 1856-59.

When the Brooklyn Waterworks opened in 1859, it was one of America's most advanced water and sewer systems. Yet after Brooklyn was annexed by New York City, the waterworks' history slipped into obscurity, despite having a now-famous champion: the "poet of America," Walt Whitman, whose brother worked on the project. This article shows the Brooklyn poet's fierce, multiyear lobbying effort for the waterworks in various newspapers and introduces a wealth of newly recovered Whitman writings on the issue. As a journalist, Whitman exemplifies the nineteenth-century press as an intermediary between expert engineers and popular readers. The poet brought precise expertise, translated engineers' technical arguments into everyday language for his readers, and fought the resulting day-to-day political battles over construction in print. Whitman, then, is an underappreciated case study of the confluence of technology, public health, and local journalism.

History of development of undergraduate public health education in Bulgaria.

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to present a historical review and analysis of the establishment and development of undergraduate public health (PH) education in Bulgaria from 1878 until 2019. METHODS: А search and selection of historical documents was performed, including laws, rules, regulations, government plans, programmes, scientific publications from periodical medical press, journals, specialized monographs, and books. A retrospective analysis of the normative documents related to the organization of the sanitation and public health activities, and to the provision of professional undergraduate education of the public health workforce in Bulgaria has been carried out. The required competences and tasks of the specialists exercising public health control services were extracted. RESULTS: The development in the public health educational activities were followed in three consecutive periods: the newly independent state (1878-1944); the socialist state (1945-1990); the democratizing state (1990-2019). The development of organized PH activities began after the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. The historical analysis reveals a direct link between the major socioeconomic changes in the country and the organization of PH undergraduate education which passed through dynamic transformations. The professional education in the sphere of PH started with the training of feldshers, followed by sanitary feldsher and sanitary health inspectors performed in secondary vocational medical schools during the socialist period, reaching the stage of undergraduate university PH education provided by medical colleges associated with universities in the third period. CONCLUSION: Despite the continuous development in the organization of undergraduate PH education in Bulgaria, its content is still not fully compatible with the basic European PH services and actions. There is a growing need for wider standardization and integration of undergraduate PH education in the EU so that the specialty can reach the status of a regulated health profession similar to medicine, nursing, and others.

La labor del Protomedicato en la salud pública en el virreinato del Perú / O trabalho do Protomedicato na saúde pública no vice-reinado do Peru / The work of the Protomedicato in public health in the viceroyalty of Peru

El objetivo de la presente investigación es conocer el papelque cumplió el Protomedicato en la salud publica en elvirreinato del Perú. La metodología utilizada fue la narraciónhistórica siguiendo el método heurístico y hermenéutico,utilizando fuentes primarias documentales de archivoshistóricos peruanos y españoles. El resultado obtenido fueconfirmar que el Protomedicato veló por la salud de losvecinos y que tenía carácter administrativo judicial y susfunciones principales fueron regularizar la labor de los queejercieran cualquier tipo de atención sanitaria, otorgandolicencias, fijando aranceles y vigilando el trabajo realizadoen las boticas y la calidad de los medicamentos, a través devisitas periódicas. La conclusión determina que hubo mejorassanitarias como consecuencia de la gestión del Protomedicatoen el virreinato del Perú, proponiendo medidas salubrese, incluso, disponía la movilización de personal médico através del virreinato y participaba ante cualquier consultade otras entidades coloniales, como el cabildo, referentes asalud pública, como eliminación de acequias, declaraciónde pestes, y otros.(AU)

The objective of this research is to know the role that theProtomedicato played in public health in the viceroyaltyof Peru. The methodology used was historical narrationfollowing the heuristic and hermeneutic method, usingprimary documentary sources from Peruvian and Spanishhistorical archives. The result obtained was to confirm thatthe Protomedicato looked after the health of the neighborsand that it had a judicial administrative nature and its main functions were to regularize the work of those whocarried out any type of health care, granting licenses, settingtariffs and monitoring the work carried out in pharmaciesand the quality of medicines, through periodic visits. Theconclusion determines that there were health improvementsas a consequence of the management of the Protomedicato inthe viceroyalty of Peru, proposing health measures and evenordered the mobilization of medical personnel throughoutthe viceroyalty and participated in any consultation fromother colonial entities, such as the council, referring to publichealth, such as elimination of ditches, declaration of pests,and others.(AU)

O objetivo desta pesquisa é conhecer o papel que o Protomedicatodesempenhou na saúde pública no vice-reinado do Peru. Ametodologia utilizada foi a narração histórica seguindo o métodoheurístico e hermenêutico, utilizando fontes documentaisprimárias de arquivos históricos peruanos e espanhóis. Oresultado obtido foi confirmar que o Protomedicato zelava pelasaúde dos vizinhos e que tinha caráter administrativo judiciale suas principais funções eram regularizar o trabalho de quemrealizava qualquer tipo de assistência à saúde, concedendolicenças, fixando tarifas e acompanhamento do trabalhorealizado nas farmácias e da qualidade dos medicamentos,através de visitas periódicas. A conclusão determina quehouve melhorias na saúde como consequência da gestão doProtomedicato no vice-reinado do Peru, propondo medidassanitárias e ainda ordenou a mobilização de pessoal médicoem todo o vice-reinado e participou de qualquer consultade outras entidades coloniais, como o conselho. , referentesà saúde pública, como eliminação de valas, declaração depragas, entre outros.(AU)

The Centenary of the Leprosy Relief Association (Lepra)-a moment for celebration and reflection†.

The year 2024 is the Centenary of the foundation of the Leprosy Relief Association (Lepra), formerly the British Empire Leprosy Relief Association (BELRA). The name of the organization changed to the LEProsy Relief Association (LEPRA) in 1976 but has been known as Lepra since 2008. Over the years it has worked closely with members and office holders of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Its work has encompassed activities from the earliest initiatives to ensure appropriate living conditions for those with the disease to the development of leprosy chemotherapy. However, this has now evolved into a strong partnership between the UK- and India-based Lepra hubs, which are carrying out research and public health initiatives ranging from elimination of prejudice against those with leprosy to adopting the recently launched WHO programme for skin NTDs to facilitate integrated control and management regimens. The fight against leprosy has always been a partnership between a wide variety of disease-specific NGOs, health-care workers and international health agencies. The story of Lepra illustrates the central role of these partnerships and national as well as international collaboration.

[The becoming and development of the academic subject and scientific discipline "public health and health care organization" (to the centenary of the academician Yu. P. Lisitsyn Chair of Public Health and Health Care). Report I (beginning of XX century - 1963)].

The article presents analysis of becoming of academic subject and scientific discipline "Public Health and Health Care Organization" in Russia from beginning of the 20th century to 1963. The special attention was paid to the role in their becoming and development that played the Chair of Public Health and Health Care Organization of the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University that is celebrating its centenary in 2023-2024 academic year. The contribution into this process of its prominent scientists and heads is considered.

Socio-historical representations of a disease: a study of posters from campaigns against Hansen's disease during the second half of the twentieth century. / Representações sócio-históricas de uma doença: um estudo sobre cartazes de campanhas para o combate à hanseníase na segunda metade do século XX.

This article analyzes the use of iconographic sources in the context of educational campaigns to combat Hansen's disease from a socio-historical perspective at four points in time: the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, and 1990s. Four posters are analyzed to identify the elements (textual, visual or graphic) used to develop discourse on this disease and those it affected and transformations and permanences in this discourse, as well as to verify how they became part of a narrative of institutional memory linked to public health in the state of São Paulo. These were produced by various public health institutions and are part of the Health Campaign Poster Collection held by the Emílio Ribas Public Health Museum.

Este artigo analisa o uso de fontes iconográficas no contexto das campanhas educativas para o combate à hanseníase numa perspectiva sócio-histórica em quatro momentos: décadas de 1950, 1960, 1980 e 1990. São analisados quatro cartazes para identificar os elementos (textuais, visuais ou gráficos) utilizados para elaborar um discurso sobre a doença e os doentes; suas transformações discursivas e permanências, além de verificar como se tornaram parte de uma narrativa de memória institucional ligada à saúde pública paulista. As fontes estudadas fazem parte da coleção Cartazes de Campanhas de Saúde, cujos itens foram produzidos por diversas instituições ligadas à saúde pública e integram o acervo do Museu de Saúde Pública Emílio Ribas.

Academic trajectory of Prof. Ana Marlúcia Oliveira: contributions to the field of food and nutrition in Brazil. / Trajetória acadêmica da Profa. Ana Marlúcia Oliveira: contribuições para o campo da alimentação e nutrição no Brasil.

It will be presented the main academic contributions of Professor Ana Marlúcia Oliveira (AMO) (in memoriam), nutritionist, professor at the School of Nutrition at the Federal University of Bahia, Ph.D. in epidemiology and CNPQ Researcher level A, from 1980 to 2021. Professor Ana accumulated, throughout her academic career, scientific articles published in national and international journals; book and book chapters authored by her; papers presented at scientific events, in addition to guiding scientific projects, dissertations and theses. She has coordinated several research projects in the field of food and nutrition in public health, with a focus on nutritional epidemiology. The scope of the subjects addressed in her scientific production expressed the concern that mobilized her around the production of knowledge to face the complex health and nutrition problems in Brazil. Her way of being in the world, welcoming and caring for people who approached her seeking qualification opportunities, her example, words and teachings influenced, and still influence, the trajectory and training of nutritionists, professors and researchers at ENUFBA and other national and international institutions. She was a Brazilian researcher and intellectual committed to the health of the most vulnerable populations and the fight against malnutrition and hunger in our country. Her wide and fruitful work left us a legacy to be remembered and continued. Some of her friends, colleagues and collaborators pay this tribute to her memory, to her example and to the legacy she left for all of us and future generations.

São apresentadas neste artigo as principais contribuições acadêmicas da Profa. Marlúcia Oliveira (AMO) (in memoriam), nutricionista, docente da Escola de Nutrição da Universidade Federal da Bahia, Doutora em Epidemiologia e Pesquisadora A do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ), no período de 1980 a 2021. A Profa. Ana acumulou, ao longo de sua carreira acadêmica, artigos científicos publicados em periódicos nacionais e internacionais; livro e capítulos de livro de sua autoria; trabalhos apresentados em eventos científicos, além de ter orientado projetos de iniciação científica, dissertações e teses. Coordenou vários projetos de pesquisa no campo da alimentação e nutrição em saúde coletiva, com foco na epidemiologia nutricional. O escopo dos assuntos abordados na sua produção científica expressou a inquietude que a mobilizava em torno da produção de conhecimentos para o enfrentamento dos complexos problemas de saúde e nutrição do Brasil. Sua forma de ser no mundo, acolhendo e cuidando das pessoas que se aproximavam em busca de oportunidades de qualificação, seu exemplo, suas palavras e ensinamentos influenciaram, e ainda influenciam, a trajetória e a formação de nutricionistas e de professores e pesquisadores na Escola de Nutrição da Universidade Federal da Bahia (ENUFBA) e em outras instituições nacionais e internacionais. Trata-se de uma pesquisadora e intelectual brasileira comprometida com a saúde das populações mais vulneráveis e com o combate contra a desnutrição e a fome no nosso país. Sua vasta e fecunda obra nos deixou um legado a ser lembrado e continuado. Alguns dos seus amigos, colegas e colaboradores prestam este tributo à sua memória e ao legado que ela deixou para todos nós e para as próximas gerações.

Geroscience and Public Health's Plastic "Ecology of Ideas".

In his 1910 JAMA address, the physician and pathologist Christian Herter (1865-1910) emphasized the importance of plasticity in science. Herter's insight is significant for understanding how public health's "ecology of ideas" must evolve and change as the health challenges facing populations alter through the different stages of "epidemiologic transition". The foundational moral aspiration (ie, disease control) and intellectual suppositions (eg, that public health is "purchasable") of the early twentieth-century public health pioneers C.-E.A Winslow (1877-1957) and his mentor Hermann Biggs (1859-1923) were shaped by sanitation science and were deployed to mitigate the risks of early-life mortality. But to meet the health challenges of today's aging world, public health's "ecology of ideas" must be plastic, and thus open to revision and refinement in terms of both its foundational moral aspirations and the intellectual suppositions concerning how to best improve population health. More medical research is needed in rate (of aging) control versus disease control.

What does the biography of Duncan Forbes MBE (1873-1941), Medical Officer of Health for Brighton (1908-1938), reveal about managing pandemics?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the national lockdowns of 2020/2021 illustrate how modern public health systems are founded on empirical evidence and contemporary understanding of disease transmission. Duncan Forbes was one of the earliest sanitarians in Britain to propose and implement a new understanding of infectious disease control. Starting his early career in Manchester and Cambridge, his eventual tenure as Brighton's longest-serving medical officer of health (MOH) left an indelible mark by challenging the entrenched tradition of terminal disinfection and by devising his "Brighton methods" for the care of tubercular patients. Forbes led Brighton's public health responses during World War I and the 1918/1919 "Spanish" influenza pandemic. Forbes also strove to improve health and housing in Brighton. His views on limiting access to contraception on the grounds of eugenics are also significant. Analysis of Forbes' work then allowed a discussion of both his legacy and of the applicability of his experiences to our own in tackling COVID-19. Forbes undeniably had a great influence in shaping modern public health practice in Britain and his challenges as MOH bear many similarities, as well as stark differences, to today's experience of COVID-19.

The 'Korean' Resolution of the Doctorless Village Crisis and the Entanglement with the Conscription System in South Korea in the 1950s-70s.

This article reviews how the crisis of doctorless villages in South Korea in the 1950s-70s was closely linked to the conscription system. In the second half of the twentieth century, South Korea's public health system faced a dual challenge: the colonial legacy of medical shortage and urban concentration, and the massive conscription of military doctors after the Korean War. The term 'doctorless village' was a signifier that reflected these historical contexts, symbolizing the chronic medical crisis in rural areas. Behind the crisis, there as a growing idea of reversing the constraints from conscription and using it as a solution for the doctorless village problem. Initially, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs planned two alternatives to fill the gaps in the public health network. One was to station military doctors in doctorless villages, and the other was to dispatch civilian doctors in doctorless villages and exempt them from military service. After a series of doctor mobilizations since the May 16 coup, the medical community generally agreed with this plan and publicized it. They developed arguments for alternative services through public health work and strengthened its logic. By the 1970s, the plan culminated in the establishment of the current Public Health Doctor system. In terms of condition and momentum, the introduction of alternative service in other sectors, as well as the extension of the consensus among the government and medical community, accelerated this trend. As a result, the doctorless village crisis in South Korea, which had been a critical issue for a quarter of a century, entered a phase of resolution by utilizing the conscription system as its institutional foundation. It represented an aspect of the 'Korean' public health system characterized by the entanglement with conscription. However, another aspect to consider is that it has imposed additional limitation on medical care in rural areas by institutionalizing the public health system relying on mobilization and minimum budget.

Byung-Chul Han e o campo da Saúde: diálogos e contribuições / Byung-Chul Han and the field of Health: dialogues and contributions

Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar como a obra de Byung-Chul Han vem sendo apropriada pelo campo da Saúde no Brasil, especialmente pelo campo da Saúde Coletiva. São discussões científicas e acadêmicas com temas importantes para a Saúde Coletiva e que estão sendo publicadas pelo campo ou fora dele que são investigadas nesta dissertação. Aqui procuramos saber em quais temas em saúde o pensamento do filósofo sul-coreano tem sido solicitado, quais conceitos do autor estão sendo utilizados e quais livros de Han estão sendo lidos. Para tanto, esta dissertação está dividida em duas partes: a primeira, presente no capítulo 1, tem como principal preocupação apresentar Byung-Chul Han. Assim, o texto passa por sua trajetória, sua popularidade no Brasil e no mundo, livros publicados, conceitos e temas presentes em sua obra, intelectuais e ideias com as quais o filósofo dialoga e algumas insinuações acerca de temas que aproximam o autor com o campo da Saúde Coletiva. A segunda parte expõe um levantamento bibliográfico realizado em portais e plataformas na internet em busca de artigos com temas que integram o campo da Saúde Coletiva e que fazem algum uso da filosofia de Han, para poder analisar de que forma os livros e conceitos deste autor estão sendo absorvidos em discussões sobre saúde, no Brasil. Após a exposição e análise do material levantado, este trabalho chega na conclusão de que, muito embora haja aproximações entre a filosofia de Han e o campo da Saúde Coletiva e uma produção profícua de artigos sobre questões relacionadas ao campo que fazem algum tipo de uso do pensamento do autor, essas discussões ainda não alcançaram os periódicos exclusivos da Saúde Coletiva no Brasil. Este trabalho se encerra com propostas de contribuições para alguns temas aproximam o pensamento de Han e o campo da Saúde Coletiva. Tendo em vista que esta dissertação envolve busca, exposição e análise de um determinado conjunto específico de material, que não se restringe apenas a artigos publicados em periódicos científicos, mas também dos próprios livros e conceitos nucleares da filosofia de Byung-Chul Han, é possível considerar que esta pesquisa se caracteriza como uma revisão de literatura com um caráter narrativo. (AU)

This work aims to analyze how the work of Byung-Chul Han has been appropriated by the field of Health in Brazil, especially by the field of Collective Health. These are scientific and academic discussions with important themes for Collective Health and that are being published by the field or outside it that are investigated in this dissertation. Here we seek to find out in which health topics the South Korean philosopher's thought has been solicited, which of the author's concepts are being used, and which of Han's books are being read. To this end, this dissertation is divided into two parts: the first, present in chapter 1, is mainly concerned with introducing Byung-Chul Han. Thus, the text goes through his trajectory, his popularity in Brazil and in the world, published books, concepts and themes present in his work, intellectuals and ideas with which the philosopher dialogues, and some insinuations about themes that bring the author closer to the field of Collective Health. The second part exposes a bibliographical survey carried out in Internet portals and platforms in search of articles with themes that integrate the field of Collective Health and that make some use of Han's philosophy, in order to analyze how this author's books and concepts are being absorbed in discussions about health in Brazil. After the exhibition and analysis of the material surveyed, this paper comes to the conclusion that, although there is an approximation between Han's philosophy and the field of Collective Health and a fruitful production of articles on issues related to the field that make some use of the author's thought, these discussions have not yet reached the exclusive periodicals of Collective Health in Brazil. This work ends with proposals of contributions to some themes that bring Han's thought and the field of Collective Health closer together. Considering that this dissertation involves searching, exposing and analyzing a specific set of material, which is not restricted only to articles published in scientific journals, but also the very books and core concepts of Byung-Chul Han's philosophy, it is possible to consider that this research is characterized as a literature review with a narrative character. (AU)

Tudo pela hora da morte! História, epidemias e desigualdades / Everything for an arm and a leg! History, epidemics, and inequalities

Resumo Assentado na interlocução entre os campos da História e da Saúde Coletiva e provocado pela historicidade do tempo presente, este artigo propõe avanços epistêmicos na discussão sobre o término das epidemias. Para tanto, se vale de operação historiográfica em vasto corpo documental, para apontar os impactos decorrentes da Gripe Espanhola de 1918 em Botucatu, cidade do interior paulista, na perspectiva do aprofundamento das desigualdades presentes nesta localidade nas décadas subsequentes à epidemia. Conclui apontando que, para além dos efeitos imediatos provocados pelo fenômeno epidêmico, ao arrefecer na dimensão biológica, a epidemia de Gripe Espanhola seguiu seu curso, alterando condicionantes sociais e culturais, bem como incidindo sobre estruturas sócio-históricas e em nossa corporeidade, tornando-se acontecimento histórico de longa duração. Desta forma, pode-se depreender que a compreensão das forças históricas que operam nos avanços e recuos em Saúde Coletiva podem alavancar enfrentamentos concretos às iniquidades, junto à retomada de um projeto civilizatório de transformação social no país, assentado na democracia, na justiça social e na defesa radical da vida.

Abstract Based on the dialogue between the fields of History and Public Health and provoked by the historicity of the present time, this article proposes epistemic advances in the discussion about the end of epidemics. To that end, it uses a historiographical operation in a vast body of documents, to point out the impacts resulting from the Spanish Flu of 1918 in Botucatu, a city in the interior of São Paulo, from the perspective of the deepening of inequalities in this locality in the decades following the epidemic. It concludes by pointing out that, in addition to the immediate effects caused by the epidemic phenomenon, when the Spanish Flu epidemic cooled down in the biological dimension, it followed its course, altering social and cultural conditions and affecting socio-historical structures and our corporeality, becoming a long-term historical event. Thus, we can infer that understanding the historical forces that operate in the advances and setbacks in Public Health can leverage concrete confrontations with inequities, along with the resumption of a civilizing project of social transformation in the country, based on democracy, social justice, and the radical defense of life.

Enfermera visitadora modelo vanguardista de cuidados de salud en España / Enfermeira de saúde pública modelo vanguardista de cuidados na Espanha / The public health nurse cutting-edge care model in Spain

Resumen Objetivo analizar la figura de la enfermera visitadora española en el periodo comprendido entre 1921 y 1953. Método estudio histórico-social, cualitativo, a partir de fuentes documentales primarias y secundarias. Se utilizó el Modelo Estrutural Dialético de Atención (MEDC), como soporte al proceso de gestión y análisis de datos. Resultados las enfermeras visitadoras españolas tenían el título de especialistas en salud pública, adquirido en Bedford College, en Inglaterra, o en la Fundación Rockefeller, en Estados Unidos. Actuaban en entornos rurales y urbanos, realizando su trabajo en Centros Primarios y Secundarios de Higiene Rural, lugares donde educaban a la población en las normas de higiene personal y salud pública. Conclusión e implicaciones para la práctica la enfermera visitadora española consiguió extender la educación sanitaria por todo el país, promover los hábitos higiénicos y nutricionales de la población en general, reducir la incidencia de las enfermedades infecto-contagiosas y promover las reformas sanitarias que se iniciaron a principios del siglo XX. En la actualidad, la figura de la enfermera visitadora puede ser considerada como precursora de la enfermera especialista en atención familiar y comunitaria.

Resumo Objetivo analisar a figura da enfermeira visitadora espanhola no período de 1921 a 1953. Método estudo histórico-social, qualitativo, a partir de fontes documentais primárias e secundárias. Utilizou-se o Modelo Estrutural Dialético de Atenção (MEDC) como suporte ao processo de gerenciamento e análise de dados. Resultados as enfermeiras visitadoras espanholas tinham o título de especialistas em saúde pública, adquirido no Bedford College, na Inglaterra, ou na Fundação Rockefeller, nos Estados Unidos. Atuavam em ambientes rurais e urbanos, realizando seu trabalho em Centros de Higiene Rural Primários e Secundários, locais onde educavam a população sobre as regras de higiene pessoal e de saúde pública. Conclusão e implicações para a prática a enfermeira visitadora espanhola conseguiu expandir a educação em saúde em todo o país, promover hábitos higiênicos e nutricionais para a população em geral, reduzir a incidência de doenças infectocontagiosas e promover reformas sanitárias iniciadas no início do século XX. Atualmente, a figura da enfermeira visitadora pode ser considerada como precursora da enfermeira especialista em cuidados familiares e comunitários.

Abstract Objective to analyze the figure of the Spanish visiting nurse from 1921 to 1953. Method This is a historical-social, qualitative study based on primary and secondary documentary sources. The Dialectical Structural Model of Care (DSSM) was used to support the data management and analysis process. Results Spanish visiting nurses had specialization in public health, acquired at Bedford College, in England, or at the Rockefeller Foundation, in the United States. They worked in rural and urban environments, performing their work in Primary and Secondary Centers of Rural Hygiene, where they educated the population about personal hygiene and public health rules. Conclusion and implications for practice Spanish nurse visitors were able to expand health education throughout the country, promote hygienic and nutritional habits for the general population, reduce the incidence of infectious-contagious diseases, and promote sanitary reforms that began at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, the figure of the visiting nurse can be considered a forerunner of the specialist nurse in family and community care.