Strategies for the advancement of intersectoral networks and equity in vulnerable territories through community-based participatory research in Brazil.

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]