Is there accountability and transparency in Brazilian State Health Councils?

Abstract

The information under the custody of the State is, as a rule, public. More than 17.5 million citizens accessed the Transparency Porta in 2019l. This research aimed to verify, through the audit of the Federal Court of Accounts - Judgment 1.130/2017 - Plenary, the levels at which the dimensions of accountability and transparency of the state health councils in Brazil are. Cross-sectional study of a descriptive type, with a quali-quantitative approach, conducted from bibliographic review on health governance in the view of the control organs, was carried out through a survey (LimeSurvey® tool) of national scope, involving the 27 Brazilian state health councils. The results revealed that 67% of the state health councils do not provide transparency adequately and, of these, six do not provide any type of transparency; 37% do not provide accountability for the implementation and results of the state health plan; 52% do not investigate the irregularities practiced by the state health secretariats, nor do they promote accountability; only 4% provide transparency with improved maturity; and 7% have improved accountability both for accounting for the implementation and results of the state health plan and for ensuring accountability for proven irregularities. It was concluded that the performance of state health councils in relation to transparency and accountability hinders the access to public health information, favors corruption, does not improve public management, and does not encourage popular participation and social control, which distances us from Sustainable Development Goals-3: “Health and Well-Being: ensure a healthy lives and promote well-being for all, at all ages”.