Photo of three women engaging in an outdoor activity.

Creating a healthier city requires engaging people and institutions who can change conditions for health, well-being, and equity. By making participation easier and meaningful, we can assure the involvement of those most affected and those critical to the success of the effort.

Key Questions to Consider

  • What institutions and organizations—from which sectors—need to involved in efforts to promote health and well-being, and how can we engage them?
  • Have those who are directly experiencing health inequities been participating?
  • Have those who have responsibility or influence to change conditions been participating?
  • Do those participating have meaning roles in the action cycle (i.e., assessment, planning, taking action, evaluation, communication and celebration)?
  • Is it rewarding for people and organizations to participate (e.g., clear roles, rewards, respect)?
  • Is it relatively easy to participate (e.g., time, effort, cost, location)?
  • Have we created an environment and mechanisms that encourage full and effective participation for those who have a stake in local efforts to promote health, well-being, and equity?

 

Some Recommended Actions

  1. Identify and engage those who need to participate from all sectors relevant to promoting health, well-being, and equity (e.g., health, education, housing, essential services, social protection, emergency response).
  2. Identify and engage those who are experiencing social exclusion and inequities whose experiential knowledge is important to addressing the community’s goals.
  3. Reach out to those you most want to involve through trusted people, organizations, and networks.
  4. Communicate the need and benefits of taking action together across sectors.
  5. Make participation more rewarding and attractive.
  6. Make participation easier and of lower cost (i.e., time, effort, money).
  7. Improve peoples’ abilities to be involved (e.g., provide information, skill training, technical support).
  8. Create an environment and mechanisms that foster full and effective participation in the action cycle (i.e., assessment, planning, taking action, evaluation, communication and celebration).

 

Examples of Engagement

Engagement through the Green and Healthy Environments Program (PAVS)

Icon image of Brazil flagSÃO PAULO, BRAZIL

 

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, The Green and Healthy Environments Program (PAVS, for its Portuguese acronym) was launched by the municipal government of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It addressed environmental issues, such as clean water and sanitation, as part of health promotion activities. Its broad goal was to improve quality of life in the São Paulo municipality under the Programa Saúde da Família – PSF (Family Health Program).

 

The PAVS initiative aimed to empower and build capacity through active community participation. PAVS strengthened intersectoral policy management at the local level. It provided training and skills-building opportunities to about 7,000 community health and social protection agents. Neighborhood, merchant and entrepreneurs associations participated in the program, along with environmental NGOs. These groups each played an important role in supporting and implementing program evaluations. Overall, the intersectoral and participatory approaches adopted by PAVS helped address health inequalities within the participating communities.

 

The PAVS effort engaged many different partners. Several national and international entities were involved in its implementation, including the Ministry of Health of Brazil, PAHO/WHO, UNEP, University of São Paulo, FLACSO, FIOCRUZ, the Municipal Secretariats of Environment, Health, Social Assistance, and Development, and twelve partners from the Municipal Health Secretariat that participated in the National Family Health Program (PSF). PAVS’ Board of Directors, established in the first phase of the program, included representatives from several of these entities. The PAVS program was under the Municipal Health Secretariat, although many of its activities fell outside the purview of the health sector.

 

The proposal was originally drafted by the Municipal Green and Environment Secretariat (MGES) of the State of São Paulo between 2005 and 2006. The program was managed and funded primarily by the São Paulo City Council. The Municipal Parliament, the Municipal Secretariats of Health, Environment, Education, and Social Assistance all collaborated within the Family Health Program (PSF). The Secretary of Urban Infrastructure and Services (waste management and other utilities), as well as the sub-prefectures, also provided support for the program.

 

Sources:

  1. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Health in All Policies: Case Studies from the Region of the AmericasWashington, D.C: PAHO; 2015. Available from:
    http://www2.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&Itemid=270&gid=31079&lang=en
  2. Pan American Health Organization. Health in All Policies: Summary of experiences from the Americas. The 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion; 2013 Jun 10-14; Helsinki (Finland).Washington, DC: PAHO; 2013
  3. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Health in All Policies in the Americas: Green and Healthy Environments Program in São Paulo (PAVS) [Internet]; 2016. Available from:
    http://saludentodaslaspoliticas.org/en/experiencia-amp.php?id=11

 

Health Promotion and Engagement Through Community Radio

Icon image of Brazil flagPORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL

 

How to reach and engage vulnerable communities experiencing high levels of violence and social exclusion? Porto Alegre, Brazil developed and launched an information exchange through community radio. The radio program, “On the Radio Waves”, developed community radio programming to promote public education and awareness on priority health issues, such as mental health.

 

Programming reached vulnerable communities affected by high levels of violence and social exclusion. Speakers had a dialogue with the radio audience on how to empower themselves to achieve a better quality of life and to learn about health promotion and disease prevention. Partners engaged in this effort included the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and the Conceição Hospital Group (GHC).

 

Partners offered regular training programs to a wide range of stakeholders including practitioners, students, and other community members. The On the Radio Waves program also engaged different sectors including the Ministries of Health, Culture, and Education. To ensure success and sustainability of the program, the Ministries of Education and Health and the Municipal Health Secretariat included allocations for this program in their budgets.

 

Sources:

    1. Pan American Health Organization. Health in All Policies: Summary of experiences from the Americas. The 8th Global Conference on Health Promotion; 2013 Jun 10-14; Helsinki (Finland).Washington, DC: PAHO; 2013
    2. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Health in All Policies in the Americas: Health Promotion through Community Radio AMORB/FM [Internet]; 2016. Available from: http://saludentodaslaspoliticas.org/en/experiencia-amp.php?id=10

Some Resources to Help You Engage

Tools from the Community Tool Box

 

Resources from the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization

 

​Resources from Partners/Countries