[A research agenda for health policies and services in northeast Brazil].

The aim of this paper is to gather elements for a discussion on health policies and services in northeast Brazil. The author begins with an analysis of the population's main health problems, the health system's limitations, and current opportunities for implementing health programs. She highlights the following research priorities: people's health situations according to their material living conditions and life styles; the private health sector's characteristics and development; the current decentralization process; and proposed innovations in services, programs, and systems. The author points out further that the policy-making process in science and technology should assure a balance between researchers' freedom and people's health needs, regional focus, and universal issues.