The community health worker in COVID-19: analysis of contingency plans in the Northeast region of Brazil

Abstract

In an attempt to create own mitigation strategies for COVID-19, municipal and state health systems organized independently, creating their own care flows, and often placing little emphasis on the work done by Primary Health Care and the community health worker. The objective of this study is to analyze the contingency plans available in the states and capitals that are signatories to the Northeast consortium, under the objectives of the Primary Health Care and the action of the community health worker. Twenty-four public and free-access documents were used as data source, referring to the year 2020, accessed between February and April 2021. These data were discussed based on three categories: care flows, assistance at the first level of care and the role of community health workers. The prioritization of high complexity services and an important limitation in the actions of primary care were observed. It is also noteworthy the restriction of the potential of the community health worker, a professional who, in most of the plans analyzed, had its actions directed toward the accomplishment of bureaucratic activities, such as the reorganization of labor flows, to the detriment of territorial actions and health education.

Keywords:
primary health care; community health workers; Covid-19