[Non-Governmental Organizations in the area of Child Healthcare - review of the literature].

The second half of the twentieth century saw the emergence of organizations that reflected the mobilization of civil society for more effective participation in questions in the public interest and of a social nature. These became known as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and they assumed their place as partners with public and private sectors to develop actions in different areas, including healthcare. Based on a review of the literature, the scope of this paper was to assess the status of scientific knowledge on the participation of NGOs in child healthcare and, by identifying and classifying their activities, establish if they are in line with the agenda of the field. Analysis of the publications took into consideration where the authors were from, the journal in question, the origins and area of activity of the NGOs and the source of the funds applied to the projects implemented. The nature of activities varied with the degree of development of the region where the NGOs operated and the themes, partnership between government and private sector agencies, sustainability and impact of actions on the favored communities were the main topics highlighted by the authors. The conclusion reached was that the performance of NGOs in child health is in the early stages and is a knowledge field to be explored.