Complexity and potentiality of the Community Health Workers’ labor in contemporary Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this article was to analyze the Community Health Worker’ (CHW) scope of practices, relating it to the social and health situation faced, as well as with facilitating and limiting elements of their practice. This is a cross-sectional study utilizing a mixed  approach, including sequential explanatory strategy, carried out  in four municipalities of Ceará. We mainly found women (139; 86.9%),  married (111; 69.4%), with a family income greater  than or equal to 2 minumm wages (102; 63.7%),  incomplete professional trainning (68; 42.5 %), from  the urban area (114, 71.3%), acting as CHW for less  than 10 years (93, 58.2%). The main activities were  home visitation of priority groups and families  registration. The complexity of the work was  evidenced, which includes actions of health  promotion and surveillance, such as prenatal care,  immunizations, hypertension, diabetes, care for the  elderly, among others. As limitations of their practices, we identified: deficiency of technical/professional  training, reduced work support, and violence. As  facilitators, we observed: permanent education and  participatory management practices. The scope of  CHW practices is complex and broad, including the  articulation of public policies in the territory, which  constitutes a potential for health promotion of  vulnerable communities.