Lideranças comunitárias na Atenção Primária à Saúde de dois municípios de Minas Gerais: conhecimento e participação relacionados a questões de saúde do território

Abstract

Introduction: The community is one of the organizational principles of the Unified Health System, and its effective performance is essential for the population, in general, to participate in decisions related to the health area of municipalities, states and the federation. There is no viability for the system to function without the community and that is why the involvement of the population of the municipalities is important. Faced with this demand, a central figure in the community is the community leader, who has knowledge as a reference for the population, and can be a transforming agent of community health. Objective: To analyze the knowledge and participation of community leaders in health issues within the scope of Primary Health Care (PHC) in two municipalities in Minas Gerais. Method: This is a study with a qualitative approach of the multihull study type that took place in two municipalities in the interior of Minas Gerais. The community leaders were nominated by the family health teams and participated through a recorded interview with a semi-structured script from January to February 2022. Data analysis was performed using the discursive textual analysis technique, establishing the following thematic categories: recognition of leadership and influence in the community; superficial knowledge about the SUS and pointing out the difficulties presented by the service; the positive recognition of the work of the Family Health teams and the approximation with their professionals; the lack of participation in the management of Primary Health Care and the desire for involvement; lack of knowledge about social control and its informal role in community health participation; and political clashes, people's lack of interest and fragility of communication as limiting factors of social control in health issues. Results: It was possible to verify, from the analysis of the speeches, that community leaders recognize themselves as leaders because they have the perception that they are references for people in their community and for enjoying this role of helping the collective. In addition, they have limited knowledge about the range of actions offered by the SUS, being closer and more informed about the Primary Health Care services in the municipality. The involvement of leaders with PHC is limited to specific demands from patients who have not had their problems resolved. Their knowledge and participation in the Social Control of the system is almost non-existent and the barriers for this participation to be effective were the convenience of the population, the lack of information about spaces for participation and political clashes. Conclusion: It was concluded that there is a need to develop methodological strategies that develop the latent capacities of community leaders, seeking to awaken their potential, promote the understanding of their social role in SUS management and encourage their participation effectively in health services. Therefore, this work contributes to the elaboration of a training booklet for community leaders in order to stimulate their community participation in the SUS; as well as the indication of the researcher as a speaker at: VIII Municipal Health Conference in the municipality of Inhaúma – MG and in the training course for Community Health Agents and Agents for Combating Endemic Diseases in the municipality of Lagoas Santa – MG.