Rede Unida

What Rede Unida does

Rede Unida (legally Associação da Rede Unida) is a Brazilian scientific non-profit civil association headquartered in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, dedicated to health education, workforce training, and the strengthening of the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). The association operates a 12-employee central secretariat and mobilizes a wide network of universities, public health services, social movements, and individual health workers across Brazil. Its two flagship programs are VER-SUS (Vivências e Estágios na Realidade do SUS), a pedagogical program that places health-science students and workers into structured experiential learning inside real SUS settings across more than 100 municipalities and all five Brazilian regions; and DIMI (Dimensionamento da Força de Trabalho), a workforce-dimensioning methodology co-developed with the Ministry of Health (SGTES) and OPAS/PAHO and deployed across multiple states for urgency-and-emergency network planning. Supporting offerings include the Editora Rede Unida publishing house (which produces the Saúde em Redes journal and academic books), a periodic International Congress now in its 17th edition, a Virtual Learning Environment (Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem – AVA), and a digital certificate issuance system.

The organization's revenue model is multi-stream but anchored on public-sector and institutional funding rather than commercial sales. Direct revenue streams include association membership dues, congress and workshop registration fees (R$25–R$600), and academic publishing royalties. The larger portion of the operating budget comes from formal partnerships and project funding — most notably from the Brazilian Ministry of Health (SGTES) and the Pan-American Health Organization (OPAS/PAHO) — supplemented by collaborations with Fiocruz, the Conselho Nacional de Saúde, CONASS/CONASEMS, Hospital Nossa Senhora Conceição, the Prefeitura de Viamão, and a federation of federal and state universities. Distribution occurs through the redeunida.org.br website, a VER-SUS local implementation network spanning 100+ municipalities, and recurring congresses and regional encounters that function as both training venues and convening platforms.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: the association grows its base by activating existing SUS, academic, and social-movement constituencies rather than through paid acquisition, with the International Congress — positioned as the largest health and education event in Latin America — serving as the principal annual anchor for member engagement and external visibility.

Name

Rede Unida

Legal name

Associação da Rede Unida

Website

https://redeunida.org.br

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rede Unida is a Brazilian non-profit scientific association that runs the VER-SUS experiential-learning program and the DIMI health-workforce planning methodology, serving health-science students, SUS workers, universities, and social movements across Brazil in partnership with the Ministry of Health and OPAS/PAHO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Education and Workforce Training Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

Keywords

• Health education training
• Public health workforce
• Experiential health learning
• Scientific association publishing
• Health congress events

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto Alegre

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Association Membership: Revenue generated from association membership fees for the Associação da Rede Unida, a scientific association in the health sector.
2. Event Organization and Registration: Revenue from organizing large-scale events including the International Congress of Rede Unida (13th edition held in 2018), regional encounters, and seminars. Registration fees ranged from R$25 for workshops to R$600 for full congress participation.
3. Publishing (Editora Rede Unida): Academic publishing revenue from the Editora Rede Unida, which publishes the journal Saúde em Redes and various books on health education and collective health.
4. Government Partnerships and Project Funding: Funding and support from the Brazilian Ministry of Health through SGTES (Secretaria de Gestão do Trabalho e da Educação na Saúde), and international cooperation with OPAS for implementing VER-SUS and DIMI projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rede Unida is a Brazilian scientific association that delivers health education and workforce training programs for the SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde). Its core offerings are the VER-SUS experiential learning program that places students and health workers in real SUS settings across Brazil, and the DIMI workforce-planning methodology developed with the Ministry of Health for urgency and emergency networks. Supporting offerings include the Editora Rede Unida academic publishing house, the annual International Congress of Rede Unida, and digital certificate services for participants.

Product overview

Rede Unida is a Brazilian scientific association focused on health education and the strengthening of the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Its portfolio centers on two flagship projects: VER-SUS (Vivências e Estágios na Realidade do SUS), a pedagogical program for health students to experience real SUS settings through structured vivências across multiple municipalities; and DIMI (Dimensionamento da Força de Trabalho), a methodology for workforce planning and dimensioning in health services. Supporting these core offerings are the Editora Rede Unida publishing house producing scientific literature and the Saúde em Redes journal, the periodic International Congress events, a digital certificate system, and a Virtual Learning Environment (AVA) for online education. The organization operates through partnerships with the Brazilian Ministry of Health, OPAS/PAHO, universities, and health services nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VER-SUS: Vivências e Estágios na Realidade do SUS - A pedagogical project that promotes experiential learning and internships in the Brazilian public health system (SUS), bringing together students, workers, and users to strengthen health education and care.
• DIMI
• Editora Rede Unida

Products and services

• VER-SUS (Vivências e Estágios na Realidade do SUS) A pedagogical program that enables health students and workers to experience and intern in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), promoting practical learning in real healthcare settings across more than 100 municipalities through structured vivências and facilitator-led activities. It is recognized by OPAS as fulfilling an invaluable pedagogical and social role.
• DIMI (Dimensionamento da Força de Trabalho) A methodology project for planning and dimensioning the healthcare workforce in hospital and pre-hospital urgency and emergency services, supporting regions in diagnosing, planning, and validating workforce allocation through training-intervention programs (such as 180-hour training courses). Developed collaboratively with the Brazilian Ministry of Health (SGTES) and OPAS.
• Editora Rede Unida Academic publishing arm of Rede Unida producing scientific books and the Saúde em Redes journal on health, education, and public policy. The publisher's website was temporarily unavailable due to cybersecurity incidents as of May 2026 and is being re-platformed with reinforced security.
• Congresso Internacional da Rede Unida International congress events (17 editions as of 2026) bringing together health workers, SUS users, researchers, students, professors, managers, and social movement representatives for scientific exchange and policy dialogue on public health education. The 17th edition is scheduled for June 22-26, 2026, at UEMA in São Luís, Maranhão.
• Certificados Digitais (Digital Certificate Issuance) Digital certificate issuance system for participants of Rede Unida events, courses, and projects (VER-SUS, DIMI, congresses, regional encounters), searchable by name, email, or work title.

Quantifiable outcome

• 270 student monitors selected from 422 applicants for the 13th Congress in 2018, with full registration fee waivers and certificates provided.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OPAS (Organização Pan-Americana de Saúde / PAHO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Rede Unida and OPAS have a long-standing partnership for health workforce formation in Brazil. On May 26, 2026, teams met in Brasília to advance cooperation to expand health worker training, promote experience exchange between countries, and strengthen the SUS. The partnership includes VER-SUS project collaboration and plans to export successful Brazilian health actions to other countries in the Americas.
• Ministério da Saúde - SGTES (Secretaria de Gestão do Trabalho e da Educação na Saúde)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with the Brazilian Ministry of Health for implementing VER-SUS vivências and DIMI workforce planning projects. SGTES provides funding and institutional support for health education initiatives through Rede Unida.
• Hospital Nossa Senhora Conceição / Grupo Hospitalar ConceiçãocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Directorate of Innovation, Work Management and Education of Hospital Nossa Senhora Conceição for VER-SUS GHC 2026 - Metropolitano project in Porto Alegre/RS and Viamão/RS.
• Prefeitura Municipal de ViamãominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partnership for VER-SUS project implementation in Viamão/RS, in conjunction with the Municipal Health Secretariat.
• Fiocruz (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFiocruz Brasília's Núcleo de Educação Popular, Cuidado e Participação na Saúde supports the Centro-Oeste Regional Encounter and VER-SUS activities. The ILMD/Fiocruz Amazônia also collaborates on congress organization and project activities.
• Universidades Federais e EstaduaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with federal and state universities across Brazil (UFRGS, UFAM, UEA, UFPB, UFC, UFBA, UFMA, and others) for hosting VER-SUS activities, congress venues, and collaborative research and education projects.
• Conselho Nacional de Saúde (CNS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the National Health Council for joint activities including the Forum 'Construindo pontes para resistir ao desmonte do SUS' and collaborative health policy initiatives. CNS has designated Rede Unida Congress as a fertile space for preparatory debates for National Health Conferences.
• CONASS e CONASEMSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Council of Health Secretaries (CONASS) and National Council of Municipal Health Secretaries (CONASEMS) participate in DIMI workforce planning projects and health education initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• CDC Foundation: U.S. nonprofit that mobilizes philanthropic and partnership funding for workforce and public health programs domestically and globally. Comparable as a peer nonprofit intermediary that funds and scales health-education and workforce-building initiatives through institutional partnerships.
• Fiocruz (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz): Brazilian federal health research and education foundation with Fiocruz Brasília and ILMD/Fiocruz Amazônia actively co-organizing Rede Unida's congress and VER-SUS activities. Comparable as a closely related public-health education and research institution that complements Rede Unida's programs.

Broad incumbents

• American Public Health Association (APHA): The oldest and largest public health association in the United States, organizing the APHA Annual Meeting and policy advocacy on workforce, education, and public health systems. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating a national health association model at greater scale and budget.
• AMEE (Association for Medical Education in Europe): International association for medical and healthcare professions education, organizing international conferences and training resources for educators. Comparable as a broader incumbent running an annual congress and continuing-education programs targeting health professions educators.
• World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA): Global federation of national public health associations that convenes the World Congress on Public Health and supports workforce formation worldwide. Comparable as a broader incumbent umbrella body in the same space, with overlapping agenda items around health education and workforce training.
• ASPHER (Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region): European association representing public health schools, focused on workforce competencies, training standards, and collaboration with WHO Europe. Comparable as a broader incumbent operating a public-health workforce and education agenda at continental scale.

Direct peers

• ABRASCO (Associação Brasileira de Saúde Coletiva): Brazilian scientific association in collective/public health that organizes scientific congresses, advocacy, and publications around SUS strengthening. Directly comparable as a peer Brazilian health-focused scientific association serving overlapping academic and policy communities.
• ABEM (Associação Brasileira de Educação Médica): Brazilian scientific association focused on medical education that runs national congresses, training programs, and curricular reform initiatives for health professionals. Directly comparable as a peer Brazilian health-education scientific association engaging medical faculties and students.

Regional players

• Conselho Nacional de Saúde (CNS): Brazilian National Health Council that co-hosts forums with Rede Unida and recognizes its congress as a fertile space for National Health Conference debates. Comparable as a regional SUS-aligned institution whose mission overlaps with Rede Unida's policy and advocacy work.
• Grupo Hospitalar Conceição (GHC): Brazilian public hospital network operating in Porto Alegre, partnering with Rede Unida as the host institution for the 2026 'VER-SUS GHC Metropolitano' program. Comparable as a Rio Grande do Sul-based regional player delivering public health workforce training and experiential learning in SUS settings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rede_unida
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RedeUnida1
• Facebookfacebook.com/associacaoredeunida
• Instagraminstagram.com/redeunida
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rede-unida

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rede Unida