[Professional competences in Public Health: concepts, origins, approaches and applications].

Professional competences are an issue that has been much discussed in several areas including health. The need for new modes of work processes as a result of the change in model of care and epidemiology of diseases has sparked discussion and debate in this area. In this context, the objective of this paper is to present a review of the construct of competence to understand their socio-historical context and their applicability in the context of health. It was presented the main approaches cited in the literature and their diverse backgrounds on the issue. Also it was reported the application of the concept in Public Health with the discussions in literature and the Galway Consensus Conference in 2008.