Launched in 2023, Together for Health (Juntos pela Saúde, in Portuguese) is an initiative of BNDES – the Brazilian Development Bank, managed by IDIS – Institute for the Development of Social Investment. In partnership with private donors, the program pools resources to support and strengthen Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS) in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil. With the aim of generating the greatest possible impact with the resources raised, the Bank mapped nearly 1,500 municipalities with significant healthcare gaps, that is, with fewer than one doctor per 1,000 inhabitants, poor infrastructure, and limited access to population health data.

By the end of 2025, Together for Health was operating in 64 municipalities in the North region and 298 municipalities in the Northeast. This expanded presence reflects the program’s progress in scale and its reach across contexts marked by different levels of access to healthcare services.

Among the results achieved, one of the highlights is in the state of Amazonas. Residents of riverside communities are gaining closer access to medical consultations, prenatal care, vaccinations, and teleconsultations through new healthcare points established in these regions.

This change is thanks to the SUS na Floresta project, implemented by the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS), with support from Together for Health. The project has reduced historical barriers faced by populations who depend on long boat trips to receive healthcare.

In the Médio Rio Juruá region, in Carauari (AM), travel to the urban area can take days. With the establishment of healthcare support points, services are now provided closer to communities, combining in-person consultations and telehealth and strengthening access to primary care.

“An essential principle of this project and of all the participants in Together for Health is not to create a parallel structure to SUS, but rather to strengthen it,” highlights Guilherme Sylos, Director of Prospecting and Partnerships at IDIS.

 

The project promotes the establishment of healthcare support points and in-person and telemedicine solutions in municipalities across Amazonas, helping expand access to healthcare services in remote areas of the Brazilian Legal Amazon.

Learn more about this and other Together for Health projects.

Would you like to learn more about how to support the initiative? Get in touch with us at: comunicacao@idis.org.br