‘People taking care of people’: Popular Agents in promoting more sustainable and healthy territories

Agentes populares en la promoción de territorios más saludables y sostenibles

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on Brazilian society, triggering research with various perspectives. However, little attention has been given to the socio-environmental determination of health in peripheral populations. This project emerges in this context with the main objective of identifying challenges and potentialities in addressing the pandemic and its consequences in three vulnerable territories in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

This is a qualitative study that combines research, training, extension, and quantitative research strategies. In order to gather socio-territorial data about these places, we created a structured questionnaire developed and validated with the participation of those who live and work in these territories. This survey had a dual purpose. It was used as educational material in a training program for Popular Health Agents, offered to the population in partnership with social movements involved in the project, and as an instrument for collecting socio-territorial data.

In addition to the collected data, the main contribution of this project comes from the potential of this experience. Therefore, in addition to presenting the results, this report aims to share the constitutive process of the action-research developed, highlighting the richness and challenges of an investigation that integrated community residents as popular researchers.