Community mobilisation and social determinants of health: A participatory action research project in the slum “Villa 31” in Buenos Aires city, Argentina

The expansion of slums, globally, influences the health of a big part of the population in the world. Due to lack of public intervention, civil society organisations play an important role in mobilising dwellers to improve the social determinants of health (SDH) in these informal settlements. This study focuses on strategies employed by “Movimiento Popular la Dignidad”, a movement active in the slum “Villa 31” of Buenos Aires. They operate a community health centre (CHC) in the slum and simultaneously run projects that tackle the SDH. The movement has recruited local community health promoters (CHPs), that play a valuable role in translating theoretical medical knowledge they acquire in the CHC into practical preventive interventions dealing with the SDH of their own environment. The study was based on participatory action-research; it combined research and praxis in order to bring about a change to the environment, allowing the research results to directly shape health interventions. The CHPs were involved not only as research subjects but as active researchers. The study utilises methods of participant observation, participatory education workshops and interviews. Through participatory work, including workshops and photography, the CHPs and I identified, mapped and analysed the most important SDH of the slum as well as the actions taken by the movement to tackle them. Based on the findings we designed health prevention campaigns and intersectoral workshops in the CHC and in the rest of the slum. At a final stage we gathered all the data and collected them in a book to be used for future advocacy and educational projects. This study proposes that tackling the environmental and social causes of diseases through intersectoral activities that involve the health sector is an effective approach of promoting prevention and of strengthening the complementary relationship between community health and community development.

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