Primary health care and urban management in communities subject to high socioeconomic and environmental fragility

Abstract

Based on the knowledge of the social determination of health, the challenge and the strategy of action to promote integrated public policies are posed, focusing on the concept of expanded health in territories where populations with high social exclusion prevail. For this purpose, the dialectic relationship between social classes, territories and health is considered. Based on the founding objectives of primary health care, the family health teams in the municipality of Petrópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were trained to carry out a participatory rapid assessment related to the goals of the sustainable development objectives, in their areas of operation. This diagnosis guided the action plan for health promotion in eight pilot areas, within which conglomerates of greater social exclusion are defined through participatory mapping. Following criteria for the social control of the health system, established in the country’s legislation, the creation of community forums is encouraged, which will elect legitimate community representatives to serve on local health councils, whose main mission is to discuss health and welfare problems on the basis of an intersectoral and expanded vision. The community forums, in conjunction with other local society organizations, discuss the main problems and propose alternative solutions that will collectively transform the reality of the territories. As an initial alternative, agro-ecological urban agriculture projects are established to promote sovereign and resilient transformations.