Intensifying the popular participation in a Basic Health Unit: an experience report

Abstract

Introduction: Popular Participation in Health, or Social Control, which is a guideline of the Unified Health System, is a way of bringing the population closer to the management of the health services they use. Objective: to describe and analyze the moves made in a Basic Health Unit to intensify popular participation in the context of the Primary Health Care during the first half of 2023. Metodology: this is a descriptive research, of a qualitative nature, of an experience report type. Results: monthly meetings were set up with the participation of the unit’s managers, staff and users. During the meetings, it became apparent that the participants were unfamiliar with the concept of popular participation in health, which led to difficulties in advancing agendas, getting participants on board and users taking ownership of the space. On the other hand, some actions for the community’s health were mobilized at the initiative of users during the meetings. Conclusions: we therefore understand the transformative potential of social participation in health and that it should be valued and improved within health services.