Situational diagnosis of Integrative and Complementary Practices in Primary Health Care of Maranhão

ABSTRACT This research presents the situational diagnosis of the Integrative and Complementary Practices in Primary Health Care of Maranhão state. A descriptive study, with primary data from the 217 municipalities of the state was carried out, through a form sent to all municipal health secretaries, from April to July 2019. The response rate was 100%, identifying that 25.4% of the municipalities offer Integrative and Complementary Practices. Phytotherapy and massage therapy are the most offered, being present in 49.1% and 29.1% of the municipalities, respectively. Physical therapists are the professionals who most perform Integrative and Complementary Practices (54.5% of the municipalities). In 49.1% of the municipalities, these practices are offered by the Family Health Strategy, and in 47.3%, by the Extended Family Health Center. Regarding the management, organization and specific legislation tools, it was observed that no municipality in the state has specific legislation for practices and 14.5% of the municipalities foresees some specific organizational structure for managing them. The offer of these practices in Maranhão is still a challenge, even with the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the establishment of the National Policy of Integrative and Complementary Practices in the Unified Health System.