Characteristics of the work of community health workers in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil

Abstract

Introduction:  The work of community health workers (CHWs) in the context of Primary Health Care (PHC) is pointed out as essential for the control of community transmission of COVID-19.

Objective:  A descriptive study of document analysis was conducted on the characterization of the work of CHWs from March 2020 to January 2021.

Methods:  The systematized data were analyzed according to the following categories: occupational health and safety support; routine tasks and new skills to respond to COVID-19; human resource management; specific training on COVID-19; social support for users.

Results:  The analysis undertaken allowed us to identify two types of responses: one from the scientific/militant field, essential to characterize the work of CHWs according to community and territorial orientation and with propositional directions to states and municipalities; and another from the political and bureaucratic field of the federal government, insufficient and uncoordinated, which gave rise to generic and sparse recommendations and guidelines, which did not contemplate a standardization of actions throughout the national territory.

Conclusion:  The systematization of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic can unfold lessons and debates about governance in health, fundamental to the confrontation of other sanitary events.

Keywords:
community health agents; COVID-19; primary health care