Authors: Vera Joanna, Bornstein Carla, López Castañeda, Nan Chen, Jacopo Gabani, Camila Giugliani, Tanya Jones, Carlile Lavor, Kyle Muther, Raj Panjabi, Matt Price
Brazil’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) have played a vital role in connecting most Brazilians with primary healthcare, significantly reducing socioeconomic and geographic health disparities. Brazilian CHWs handle a wide range of duties, including health education, monitoring, and referrals, and address social determinants of health by helping families access other government services. Integrated into primary healthcare teams, they serve as a bridge between vulnerable communities and Brazil’s universal healthcare system. The program’s origins trace back to a civil society reform movement in the 1970s and 1980s, led by public health researchers and activists. This movement successfully implemented health care reforms after the end of military rule, resulting in a universal health system and decentralized community health care, reflecting the principles of Brazil’s 1988 constitution that views health as a right.
Link: Community Health Workers in Brazil
Resource Topic: CHW programs
Resource Type: Evaluation
Year: 2024
Region: South America
Country: Brazil
Publisher May Restrict Access: No