FOR TRANSFORMATIVE PRIMARY CARE: TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING TO STRENGTHEN THE WORK IN FAMILY HEALTH CARE

Abstract

Primary Health Care (PHC) plays a central role in structuring fair and effective health systems, being considered the main gateway to comprehensive care for populations. In Brazil, the Family Health Strategy (FHS) is the main public policy focused on PHC, structured to promote prevention, promotion, early diagnosis, and continuous care actions. However, the effectiveness of this strategy depends directly on the education and qualification of professionals who work at this level of care, since health work demands not only technical knowledge but also relational and cultural skills to deal with the complexity of territories and social demands. The challenge of professional training in PHC involves overcoming fragmented biomedical models, which have historically prioritized a curative approach to the detriment of comprehensive and community care practices. Thus, the ways to structure health education that not only trains professionals to work in PHC but also sensitizes them to humanized, transformative, and socially engaged practices are questioned. That said, we ask: How can the training and qualification of Primary Health Care professionals contribute to the construction of comprehensive and transformative care in Family Health? Theoretically, we are anchored in the works of Illich (1975), Giovanella et. al. (2008; 2012; 2013), Starfield (2002), Mendes (2011; 2012; 2018), Werner et. al. (2009), Freeman (2018), among others. Methodologically, we used the qualitative approach according to Minayo (2007), descriptive and bibliographic from Gil (2008), and with comprehensive analytical bias according to Weber (1969). The findings showed that the education and qualification of Primary Health Care (PHC) professionals play a fundamental role in the construction of comprehensive and transformative care. It was found that the qualification of workers has a direct impact on the problem-solving capacity of care, the humanization of practices, and the expansion of access to health, especially in vulnerable communities. In addition, it was identified that PHC, when structured in an intersectoral and participatory way, promotes better clinical outcomes and reduces inequalities in the health system. The implementation of permanent education strategies and active teaching methodologies was pointed out as essential to ensure the preparation of professionals for the challenges of PHC. Finally, it was concluded that valuing PHC as a structuring axis of the Unified Health System (SUS) requires public policies that prioritize adequate financing, the retention of professionals, and the expansion of multi-professional teams.