As a result of the 1988 Federal Constitution changes in public health policies, e.g. the guarantee to the whole society to universal and integral access to health care, the duties of the State concerning those specific matters have increased considerably. Moreover, the effective policy of decentralisation of resolutions in health matters for states and over all for municipalities urged a new discussion to take place on the subjects of responsibilities and duties for individuals, different levels of the Government, citizens, the state and the public and private spheres. Finally, public policies which support "the withdrawal of the State´s intervention in economy affairs" also bring up this polemic subject. We aimed to discuss in this article, in the context suggested above, the health demand and the reasons why the market is inefficient to optimising the allocation of recourses.
health economy; public health; health demand