Search

Civil society engagement around health care and population health improvement is an important driver towards Health for All. Research can improve the effectiveness of health activism by examining the resources, structures and strategies of civil society engagement. However, research to support such engagement faces epistemological and methodological challenges which call for specific research strategies. A four year multi-country study was undertaken by the People's Health Movement, a global network working for health for all. The research took place in six countries (Brazil, Colombia, DR Congo, India, Italy, South Africa) and globally, and was directed to understanding five domains of civil society engagement: movement building; campaigning and advocacy; capacity building; knowledge generation, access and use; and engaging with governance. The research plan and methods of data collection and analysis were tailored to address the objective of improving activist practice, while negotiating research challenges identified during the design phase. Results include insights into the practice of civil society engagement in relation to the five domains of activist practice, as well as experience gained in managing six methodological challenges which we describe as: making meaning, aligning research and action, managing power relations, valuing experiential knowledges, chaos and contingency, challenging preconceptions. Researching activism can produce useful insights into practice as well as support continuous improvement in the effectiveness of such activism. However, there are significant methodological challenges that can be addressed through appropriate strategies. More research, building on the approach described in this paper, can contribute to more effective civil society activism for health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify strategies for the advancement of intersectoral networks and equity in the context of vulnerable territories in Brazil; this is a qualitative study based on community-based participatory research (CBPR). The population of the study was composed of managers, health care and social assistance professionals, members of social movements and non-governmental organisations (NGOs); a total of 86 participants were recruited for the study. Data were collected through interviews, focus groups and a participatory forum. Data analysis was applied according to the methodological background of the dialectic hermeneutics of Jürgen Habermas, which considered communicative action theory and CBPR. The intersectoral strategies were occurring without the integration of sectors, people, and action. There is a lack of an institutional approach by the municipal government in establishing priorities, as well as shared and integrated agendas; there is a lack of human resources qualification and communities for the development of the actions to address the social determinants of health. According to the participants, the current strategies to tackle social inequities are not systematic, are insufficient, lack appropriate resources and have a limited impact on the communities. Furthermore, the civil society representatives reported that they were not included as a stakeholder or even regarded as a social mechanism to support vulnerable groups, to achieve a solution, to lead on or manage their context of poverty and inequity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]