Access to Health Services and Assistance Offered to the Afro-Descendant Communities in Northern Brazil: A Qualitative Study.

Marcela De Oliveira Feitosa,Volmar Morais Fontoura,Iolanda Graepp Fontoura,Maikon Chaves De Oliveira,Ana Maria Da Costa Teixeira Carneiro,Késia Chaves Da Silva,Sarah Gisele De Vasconcelos Leite,Paula Cristina De Sousa Vieira,Catilena Silva Pereira,Janayna Araújo Viana,Lígia Parente De Alencar Leal,Renata De Sá Ribeiro,Maria Elidiana Araújo Gomes,Ankilma Do Nascimento Andrade Feitosa,Fernando Luiz Affonso Fonseca

doi:10.3390/ijerph18020368

Abstract

The remnants of quilombos, individuals of African descent, have faced several barriers throughout its history, either due to prejudice imposed by society, or the non-fulfillment of their rights guaranteed in the 1988 Constitution, such as access to health services. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the health care offered to quilombo communities in the northern region of Tocantins. This is an exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach, including field research and focus group, carried out with 58 quilombo remnants people from communities in the northern region of Tocantins. Data collection was carried out between from October 2017 to July 2018, through semi-structured interviews. We found that these communities have limited access to health services, in addition to a negative perception of the assistance offered to the health of their population and the commitment of managers. Therefore, access to health and assistance received by the studied communities required to be prioritized since the care provided is not unique and has not met the health demands and needs of the remaining quilombos in northern Tocantins, Brazil.

Highlights

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When assessing the health care offered to quilombola communities in northern Tocantins, we noticed that this population faces social and health inequalities, and greater exposure to social determinants of health, which make them more susceptible to illness
We found that the scarcity of financial resources, the location of the communities, the lack of doctors, and difficulties in scheduling the exams, constitute barriers to the access of the studied population to health services

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This study aims to evaluate the health care offered to quilombo communities in the northern region of Tocantins. Data collection was carried out between from October 2017 to July 2018, through semi-structured interviews. We found that these communities have limited access to health services, in addition to a negative perception of the assistance offered to the health of their population and the commitment of managers. Access to health and assistance received by the studied communities required to be prioritized since the care provided is not unique and has not met the health demands and needs of the remaining quilombos in northern Tocantins, Brazil

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion