Local Health Councils as a tool for popular participation and exercise of social control: an experience report

• Autor(a) principal: Vieira, Josiana Dias
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Cavalcante, Ana Suelen Pedroza, Ribeiro, Marcos Aguiar, Araújo Júnior, David Gomes
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista de educação popular (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://seer.ufu.br/index.php/reveducpop/article/view/63043
• topic: Health Council; Social Control; Popular participation; Popular Education; Unified Health System; Conselho de Saúde; Controle Social; Participação Popular; Educação Popular; Sistema Único de Saúde

The Local Health Council is the advisory body of the Unified Health System (SUS), in the area of the local health service, relating directly to the Municipal Health Council. This paper aimed to systematize the experience of working in a Local Health Council (CLS). It is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach based on the systematization of experience. The instrument used for data collection was a field diary. The activities focused on the development of workshops focused on social control on SUS. The planning of activities was based on reflections made while we participated in the meetings, which made it possible to identify CLS strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the process, we observed that the population was involved and committed to the council, as well as in searching for improvements for the community. The meetings managed to develop greater autonomy by the counselors, the search for a greater understanding of the population’s needs, in addition to being possible to identify a greater willingness to change. We have observed more empowered counselors regarding their their responsibilities. In this way, we understand that the educational process developed in this space improved the quality of participation and strengthened social control.