Social participation: A look at the representativeness of health councils in Brazil, from resolution 453/2012

Abstract

The text addresses the representativeness in health councils in Brazil, based on guidelines proposed by the National Health Council. This study aimed to verify the adequacy of the councils to the criteria described in Resolution 453/2012, which demonstrate the representativeness of the segments that make up the collective. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during May and June 2017. The study population was composed of health councils registered in the Health Councils Monitoring System, with public access and available on the Internet. The results obtained were organized considering the geographical distribution of the councils. The regions with the highest rates of noncompliance with the parity criterion were identified. It has been demonstrated that the guidelines for reformulating the councils are aligned with the notion of representativeness, but they are not a guarantee for the effectiveness of the representation. Future studies may deepen the analyses on representativeness in health councils in Brazil, and identify which mechanisms are adopted by entities to ensure the effectiveness of representation, as well as whether representation is renewed. It is recommended that the rules ordering the functioning of councils be permanently updated to promote social participation in health.