Participative management in Primary Health Care: an essay on an experience in a vulnerable urban territory

Abstract

ABSTRACT Participatory management, although instituted in the norms of the constitution of the Brazilian Universal Health System (SUS), still faces challenges to be effective in practice at a local level, especially in complex urban territories, aiming at community strengthening and social participation. This essay aims to present and discuss aspects of a participatory management experience in a vulnerable territory, mediated by Primary Health Care. This experience of health co-management was developed between 2009 and 2013 in Manguinhos, a municipality of Rio de Janeiro. From the managers’ reports and the technical materials produced, the implementation of strategies analyzed were the mobilization to create a local intersectoral management council and those of information, education, and communication in health supported by institutional supporters and by the family health teams. We concluded that democratic managerial and sanitary practices can be developed through social technologies, which value participative and shared management among workers-users-management.