The Qualification and Development Program of Community Health Agents in the perspective of the various subjects involved in primary care

Abstract

The Development and Qualification Program for the Community Health Worker (CHW) was established by the Ministry of Health in order to invest in the Worker's professionalization. This article aimed to identify analyze, and understand the implications of the Development and Qualification Program concluded in 2009 by the School of Public Health of the State of Minas Gerais in the personal and occupational life of the CHWs and in the health care process. According to the viewpoint of the many subjects involved in Primary Health Care (PHC): CHWs, Family Health team, managers, teachers, and users of four primary health centers in a capital city of Southeastern Brazil. This study has a qualitative nature, using as techniques for information collection and documentary analysis interviews, focus group, and questionnaires. The collected information was analyzed by means of the subject discourse analysis technique and using the software SPSS, version 16. We conducted 14 focus groups with the Family Health Strategy units, 4 with CHWs, and 4 with users; 7 interviews, 4 with managers and 3 with teachers at the course. In the Worker's group, there is a predominance of women and a low turnover. In discourse analysis, it was found that the program under study brought favorable implications to the personal and professional life of CHWs and to APS. However, it needs to start being structured on the parameters of continued health education, in order to assure an approach that provides the permanent construction of strategies aimed to improve life and health conditions and achieve full citizenship.