[The strategic importance of health information for social control]. / A importância estratégica da informação em saúde para o exercício do controle social.

This paper discusses the relationship between the State and Brazilian society since the early 1980s. Particularly noteworthy are the Healthcare Councils that draw up strategies and controls for implementing Healthcare Policies. It also analyzes healthcare information policies for deploying social controls and helps extend the access of these Councils to these policies at various levels of complexity, based on the principle of all-round healthcare. Brazil's National Health Council has contributed to this process through its Intersector Healthcare Communication and Information Commission, which was brought back into operation in 2005. To do so, Decentralized Regional Seminars were held, as well as a National Seminar, discussing the construction of a Pact for the Democratization and Quality of Health Communication and Information. The proposals presented by the Health Councils were analyzed, with the outstanding being the establishment of indicators to evaluate and oversee information quality and publicizing the rights of the users of Brazil's National Health System (SUS).