Community health workers perspective on the Covid-19 impact on primary health care in Northeastern Brazil

Bibliographic Data

ID5223408
AuthorsAnya Pimentel Gomes Fernandes Vieira-Meyer (0000-0003-4237-8995, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz), Franklin Dellano Soares Forte (0000-0003-4237-0184, Universidade Federal da Paraíba), José Maria Ximenes Guimarães (0000-0002-5682-6106, Universidade Estadual do Ceará), Sidney Ferreira Faria (0000-0002-3650-154X, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz), Anna Luisa Silva De Oliveira (0000-0002-2483-550X, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz), Maria Socorro De Araújo Dias (0000-0002-7813-547X, State University of Vale do Acaraú), Claudete Ferreira De Sousa Monteiro (0000-0003-0902-3340, Universidade Federal do Piauí), Fernando José Guedes Da Silva Júnior (0000-0001-5731-632X, Universidade Federal do Piauí), Ana Patrícia Pereira Morais (0000-0001-6188-7897, Universidade Estadual do Ceará), Maria Rosilene Candido Moreira (0000-0002-9821-1935, Universidade Federal do Cariri), Márcia C Castro (0000-0003-4606-2795, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, U.S.A), Aisha K Yousafzai (0000-0002-1592-8923, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, U.S.A)
Year2023
Volume39
Issue7
Pagese00007223-e00007223
Publication date2023-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCadernos de Saude Publica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0102-311X • E-ISSN: 1678-4464
PublisherFapUNIFESP (SciELO) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1590/0102-311xen007223
PMID37585900
OpenAlexW4385771668
SCIELO_PIDS0102-311X2023000705009
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited17

This article evaluates the COVID-19 pandemic impacts on the Family Health Strategy (FHS) team's work routines across a range of northeast Brazilian cities as perceived by community health workers (CHW). Data on COVID-19, CHW activities, and FHS teams were collected in 2021 by a structured questionnaire. A total of 1,935 CHWs from four state capitals (Fortaleza - Ceará State, João Pessoa - Paraíba State, Recife - Pernambuco State, Teresina - Piauí State) and four hinterland cities (Crato, Juazeiro do Norte, Barbalha, Sobral - Ceará State) participated in the study. Most CHWs were women (82.42%), with mean age 46.25±8.54 years. Many (39.92%) were infected with COVID-19, of which 70.78% believed they were infected in the workplace. A total of 77.82% defined their role as frontline in the fight against COVID-19, 16.07% reported receiving training for COVID-19, and 13.74% had access to sufficient protective equipment. Most (90.27%) believed their work routines were modified by the pandemic, either strengthening (41.46%) or weakening (44.41%) the team spirit. Home visits (60.55%), health promotion actions in schools (75.66%) and in specific community groups (93.96%), and other on-site community services (66.01%) showed a reduction in frequency. The sampled cities revealed a significant heterogeneity regarding responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly associated with a lack of coordination by the Federal Government. Regardless of context, the pandemic led to a reconfiguration of local health systems, workflows, and primary care protocols for FHS teams. The importance of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) and its potential for reorganization during crisis should be acknowledged while preserving the headway made thus far

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Community health workers · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Disease · Environmental health · Family medicine · Geography · Health services · Infectious disease (medical specialty) · Outbreak · Perspective (graphical) · Population · Primary care · Primary health care · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) · Health, Nursing, Elderly Care · Healthcare Systems and Reforms · Medicine · Primary Care and Health Outcomes · Virology · Gerontology