Latin American Nations Launch Multicenter Initiative to Address Health Inequities Using Social Technology

In a significant effort to test qualitative methodology to tackle health inequities across Latin America, a multicenter pilot project led by FIOCRUZ's Itaboraí Forum has shown promising results. Conducted between May and November 2024, the initiative focused on promoting health equity in local communities through innovative social technology applications.

National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) from Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, and the national branch of FLACSO in Paraguay collaborated to implement community-based strategies addressing social inequalities that affect health outcomes. The project targeted diverse areas, including urban neighborhoods, semi-urban regions, and rural villages.

Phases of the Project

The initiative was structured into three key phases:

  1. Training Session – Held at in Petropolis, Brazil, to equip participants with social technology tools.
  2. On-Site Monitoring – Supervised by the Itaboraí Forum team to provide local guidance.
  3. Final Evaluation Meeting – Participants reviewed results and best practices.

Two primary social technology tools—Rapid Participative Diagnosis (RPD) and Participative Mapping (PM)—were utilized by local health agents, community leaders, and NPHI teams. The final evaluation highlighted the project's success, achieved within a short four-month period.

Key Findings and Community Concerns

The project revealed several common challenges faced by communities:

  • Disruption from Migration: Both internal and international migration disrupted local economies and social stability.
  • Economy and Infrastructure: Job insecurity; difficulties in mobility due to poor public transportation; limited health services
  • Environmental Hazards: Pollution, pesticides, and climate-related disasters as well as lack of sanitation and access to safe drinking water affected community health.
  • Food Insecurity: Shifts from traditional farming to agribusiness intensified food insecurity in rural areas.
  • Discrimination and Limited Education: Gender and ethnic discrimination, coupled with restricted access to secondary and higher education, were significant barriers.
  • Mental Health and Substance Abuse: Deficiencies in mental health care and support for young people were frequently cited.

Breakthroughs and Methodological Advancements

The project's outcomes led to critical innovations in public health methodology, including:

  • Enhanced community engagement through impartial listening, which built trust in politically sensitive or high-risk areas.
  • Improved survey tools and guidelines tailored for various users, from schoolchildren to field workers and in different languages.
  • The organization of project outcomes around Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to encourage cross-sector approaches.

Major Project Achievements

  1. Increased Awareness: Strengthening understanding of the social determinants of health and the need for intersectoral collaboration at the local level.
  2. Integration of Social Technology: Adoption of qualitative methods and social technology as a tool for transforming health care delivery.
  3. Policy-Level Influence: Recommendations to incorporate the project's methods into national primary health care policies.

Commitments and Next Steps

Participants committed to scaling and sustaining the project's impact across the region:

  • Continuing the pilot projects to achieve transformation in the territories
  • Integrating Social Technology in postgraduate curricula and awareness of its use at the government level
  • Developing a communication strategy to sensitize local authorities about the importance of implementing Social Technology, particularly to strengthen health promotion objectives.
  • Incorporating or strengthening of qualitative field research in the participating institutes.

Country specific commitments included

  • Training 3,000 Primary Health Care agents in El Salvador.
  • Expanding pilot projects to additional municipalities in Argentina.
  • Collaborating with IMSS-Bienestar in Mexico to promote health initiatives.
  • Integrating social technology into public health curricula and government programs in Mexico.
  • Presenting the new methodologies in the fieldwork of FLACSO Paraguay.

This groundbreaking initiative highlights the power of community-driven health solutions in addressing structural inequalities and sets the stage for broader implementation across Latin America.

The detailed report of the project can be found in three languages PORTUGUESE, SPANISH, and ENGLISH.

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