Citation

Signorelli M, Taft A, Pereira PPG. Int. Q. Community Health Educ. 2019; ePub(ePub): 272684X19865145.

Affiliation

Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0272684X19865145

PMID

31354051

Abstract

In this commentary paper, we highlight the key role that community health workers and family health professionals can perform for the identification and care for women experiencing domestic violence in communities. These workers are part of the primary health-care strategy in the Brazilian public health system, who are available in every municipalities and neighborhoods of the country. Based on our ethnographic research, we argue that identification and care of abused women by these workers and professionals follow a pattern which we described and named “the Chinese whispers model.” We also point gaps in training these workers to deal with complex issues, such as domestic violence, arguing for the need of formal qualification for both community health workers and family health professionals by, for example, incorporating such themes into curricula, further education, and continuing professional development.

Keywords violence against women, primary health care, Brazil, community health workers, public policies

Language: en

Keywords

Brazil; community health workers; primary health care; public policies; violence against women