Challenges and prospects of Health Popular Education in its contribution to the praxis of Community Health Agents

This paper discusses Community Health Agent (CHA) work in Brazil, regarding in particular their practice as educators in the context of the national health policy. Authors’ experience in the technical course developed for these workers by Escola Politécnica de Saúde Joaquim Venâncio/Fiocruz and a bibliographical review were the basis for this paper. Results indicate possible contradictions between the legal requirements for the Community Health Agent work and the actual possibility of these agents becoming popular educators. Finally, this paper presents the challenges and prospects health popular education faces if it is to contribute changes in the work process of CHAs which will lead to effective critical education and popular participation, in order to pave the way for an integral health perspective and a dialogical approach with popular knowledge in the context of primary care.

Community Health Agent; Popular health education; Health education